Trump says – President Donald Trump downplayed the risk that Iran’s indirect U.S. negotiations could be paused or collapse, telling CNBC on June 1 that he “couldn’t care less” if talks are over—even as Iranian media reported Tehran is halting communications through mediato
For President Donald Trump, the question wasn’t whether Iran-U.S. talks were in trouble. It was how quickly the negotiations had become boring.
In a June 1 interview with CNBC. Trump was asked about reports from Iranian state media that Iran’s negotiators halted communications with the U.S. after Israel intensified its military campaign in Lebanon. Trump’s answer was blunt. “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly,” he said. “I really don’t care.”.
He added that the talks had started to drag. “If they’re over, they’re over,” Trump told CNBC. “If they’re not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.”
The comments came with fresh uncertainty around the negotiations’ status. Earlier that week, Trump and other administration officials suggested the U.S. was nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend a ceasefire by 60 days. With the Strait of Hormuz tied closely to global oil flows. reports that Iran had paused the indirect talks were quickly tied to market anxiety. The price of oil rose on the news, and Trump dismissed concerns about the costs.
He told CNBC, “I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near, you know, the very near distance.”
Even with that confidence, the reported reason for the pause pointed to a widening regional battlefield. On June 1. the Tasnim news agency in Iran said Tehran’s negotiating team would stop communicating with Washington through mediators in protest of Israel’s widening ground invasion and bombardment of Lebanon. The report said Iran is battling Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is central to the conflict.
Trump’s remarks to CNBC also set up a sharp contrast with how he later described the situation. After the interview, he appeared to counter any suggestion that talks had stalled. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The timeline of Trump’s communications kept widening as he addressed the conflict through other channels too. Earlier, Trump said he’d been told by leaders of Israel and Hezbollah that they plan to stop fighting. He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relayed in a phone call that no Israeli troops will be going to Beirut and that any troops on their way have been ordered back to Israel.
Trump also described a separate exchange with Hezbollah. “Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” Trump said.
When he spoke to NBC News, Trump said he had not heard from Iranian officials that they’re suspending talks. He framed that uncertainty with a preference for quiet. “I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth,” he told the outlet. “I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time.”.
The deeper friction in the negotiations has been familiar for months. Vice President JD Vance. last week. cited Iran’s nuclear program and highly enriched uranium as the main sticking points in negotiations. Trump has said repeatedly that Iran must dispose of its enriched uranium and end its nuclear program as part of any deal. Iranian leaders, though, have previously called its right to uranium enrichment non-negotiable.
Taken together. Trump’s June 1 comments show how the negotiations are being handled like a bargaining process in one arena and like a political messaging problem in another—oil markets reacting to reported pauses. while the president insists timing matters less than persistence. In one breath, he told CNBC he “couldn’t care less” if talks are over. In another, he later said talks were continuing “at a rapid pace” and even suggested that silence could be beneficial.
Iran talks U.S. negotiations Donald Trump CNBC interview Truth Social Strait of Hormuz ceasefire 60 days oil prices Lebanon Israel Hezbollah JD Vance nuclear program highly enriched uranium Tasnim
He said he doesn’t care… so why should we? lol
So basically Iran stops talking and he’s like “boring”?? That’s wild. Also if oil prices spike from this then it’s not really “dropping like a rock” right? Seems like wishful thinking.
Wait I thought they were close to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, like 60 days or whatever. Now they’re pausing talks because of Lebanon… but isn’t that all connected? Maybe this is just negotiating theater and he wants oil prices higher for some reason.
This feels like Trump talking over everyone like always. “Couldn’t care less” is such a weird take when it’s literally international stuff and money and markets. The report says Iran halted communications through mediators which… ok but who even are the mediators, Israel? or the US? idk. Anyway if Israel is escalating then yeah talks might stop, but he’s acting like it’s no big deal.