‘Not a ceasefire, a real end': Trump presses for total resolution in Israel-Iran conflict

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President Trump has made it clear that he wants the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran to conclude with Tehran fully abandoning its pursuit of nuclear weapons, dismissing any notion that he is open to brokering a temporary ceasefire read more
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One en route from Calgary, Canada to Joint Base Andrews, Md., late Monday. AP
US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran to conclude with Tehran fully abandoning its pursuit of nuclear weapons, dismissing any notion that he is open to brokering a temporary ceasefire in the region.
According to a Politico report, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after unexpectedly leaving the G7 summit in Canada early on Monday, Trump expressed strong support for Israel's military actions and emphasised that Iran's nuclear programme must be eliminated entirely.
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'A complete give-up, it's possible,' Politico quoted Trump as saying of his preferred end to the fighting, adding he wanted 'not a ceasefire, a real end' to the conflict.
'I'm not too much in a mood to negotiate,' he said.
Trump's comments came soon after he criticised French President Emmanuel Macron in a Truth Social post for implying that his early return to Washington was an effort to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
His remarks also highlighted a firm shift toward stronger backing of Israel's ongoing military campaign, marking a departure from his previous anti-war stance and drawing increasing criticism from within his own MAGA base over continued US engagement in the Middle East.
'I'm not looking for a ceasefire, we're looking at better than a ceasefire,' Trump was quoted as saying, reiterating his criticism of Macron as a 'nice guy' who 'doesn't get it right too often.'
Trump offered few details on what a resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict would entail, saying his strategy would depend on how events unfold 'in the next couple days.'
He confirmed plans to convene with advisers in the Situation Room early Tuesday and acknowledged considering sending Vice President JD Vance and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to engage with Iranian officials, reported Politico.
Trump continued to blame Iran for failing to strike a nuclear deal in time to avoid Israel's offensive.
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'I hope their programme's going to be wiped out,' he said. 'They should've done the deal. Their cities have been blown to pieces and they've lost a lot of people.'
Explaining his early departure from the G7 summit, Trump said he preferred 'being on the scene' to monitor the conflict and claimed he had achieved his goals at the meeting.
During his brief 24-hour stay in Canada, Trump met with leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The only major outcome was a proclamation implementing a US-UK trade deal finalised last month.
Trump brushed off concerns about securing additional trade agreements before his July 8 deadline for imposing new 'reciprocal' tariffs.
'We're actually finished with every deal if you think about it because all I have to do is say this is what you're going to pay,' he was quoted as saying.
Despite initial hesitation, Trump ultimately signed a G7 joint statement on the Israel-Iran conflict — a rare moment of consensus.
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But when asked why the US backed the statement, he appeared detached.
'I haven't seen the statement yet, but I authorised them to say certain things,' he said. 'I don't know whether or not they said them correctly. But I think they probably did.'
With inputs from agencies