Trump in Ohio: Iran Wants a Deal but "Doesn't Know How"; "Maybe We Went Too Far" Targeting Its Officials

US President Donald Trump, speaking at a Republican rally in Ohio in the early hours of Tuesday 21 Mehr 1405 (13 October 2026), said: "Iran wants to reach a deal but doesn't know how to do it." According to Fars and IRNA, relayed by Khabaronline, he added: "Maybe we went too far in targeting Iran's leaders, and we should have stopped at the first or second level of escalation."

Trump also said Iran "will never get a nuclear weapon" and that the affair "ends very soon", adding that petrol prices will fall once the war is over. The US-Israeli war on Iran began on 9 Esfand (28 February). The remarks come as the 12 Aban (3 November 2026) midterm elections approach and voters worry about fuel costs; they are the US president's own claims and have not been confirmed by Tehran.

The same day, Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran is finalizing its reply to Washington's remarks.