President Donald Trump stated in an interview with NBC News’ "Meet the Press" that he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift sanctions until a peace deal is finalized. He indicated that such measures could be considered after an agreement is reached, contingent on Iran's behavior. Trump clarified that he is not insisting on Lebanon's involvement in a short-term deal with Iran, although he believes they would be interested.
On February 28, U.S. and Israeli forces initiated strikes on Iran, with the Trump administration engaged in negotiations for a potential peace deal. Trump mentioned, "We’re very close to a deal, or I’m going to blow the hell out of them." He expressed willingness to communicate with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since being injured in U.S. strikes at the conflict's onset.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials from the Trump administration have stated that a temporary ceasefire agreement remains in place despite recent military actions against Iran, describing these actions as defensive.
