What They’re Saying About the Iran War—June 5, 2026

U.S.

President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists

“As it stands right now, we will go in in the not too distant future [to take out Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium pursuant to an agreement]. We could get it right now. I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s entombed. It’s very safe down there. We have cameras, every angle of those three sites are being watched at all times. If anybody went there, we’ll see exactly what’s happening and we’ll blow it up a little bit further. . . . [It’s] very hard to get that material, but I still nevertheless want it. I don’t want to do it if we’re in conflict. I don’t want to put men in that kind of danger.”

President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists

“I didn't want to be Jimmy Carter. I didn't feel like being Jimmy Carter, so that topic we did. Well, we thought about it [sending in special operations forces to extract Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium] right at the very beginning, before you saw, before we did what we did, what before we destroyed their entire military. We thought about it, and I didn't want to be in a position where you had been here to get there. It’s not like Venezuela, like you go in, you’re there for a matter of minutes and you’re out and everybody’s waving goodbye as you, and you brought the cargo to be there for two weeks, you need massive equipment to airlift the equipment, and you’re in a war zone. There was a time at the very beginning when we thought about doing that, because they would have not been watching, but they would have found out.”

President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists

“[The Middle East is] a different part of the world. You know, I’d say in that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner. It’s not bad. But it’s true.”

President Donald Trump | Comments to Journalists

“I don’t want to meet [with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei], but if I did meet, I’d be honored to meet him. I’d like to see if we make a deal, but if we make a deal, it’s possible that I would meet him. I’d be okay with it. I haven’t really heard too much about it. I didn’t suggest it, but some people have suggested it. If it happened, it would be happening. I’d be respectful. I would say I’m not his favorite person, but with that being said, he’s probably a professional. In some circles he has a very good reputation, actually.”

Central Command | X

“CLAIM: Iran claims it fired warning shots at U.S. warships in the Gulf of Oman, forcing American vessels to ‘retreat’ toward the Indian Ocean. FALSE.  

“TRUTH: Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at U.S. Navy warships. Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire. U.S. forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing blockade against Iran.”

Indo-Pacific Command | X

“Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel MT DAVINA located in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility. We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate. International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent | Press Release

“Iran’s economy is floundering and its military is decimated. Through Economic Fury, Treasury will continue to sever Iran’s shadow fleet, shadow banking networks, and access to global trade.”

Treasury Department | Press Release

“Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a network of individuals, entities, and vessels responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian-origin liquid petroleum gas (LPG)—intentionally disguised as Omani LPG—to end users in South and East Asia.  The network used front companies in the United Arab Emirates and China, foreign bank accounts, and Iran’s shadow fleet to move millions of barrels of Iranian LPG while concealing its Iranian origin and evading U.S. sanctions.  OFAC is taking this action to expose the complicit actors enabling an economic lifeline for Iran while exploiting commercial infrastructure to obfuscate their actions.”

IRAN

Mohsen Rezaei, Military Advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader | Press Interview

“$24 billion is not much for America if he wants to reach an agreement with Iran. . . . this is our own [money], not America’s money. . . . [T]he cost of negotiating is much less for America than the cost of fighting with us. . . . [A meeting between President Trump and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei] will not happen.”

Mohsen Rezaei, Military Advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader | Comments to Journalists

“[Hezbollah had] made great sacrifices in the recent war and it is our ally. Therefore, we support Hezbollah and remain firmly committed to our obligations toward it. . . . Today we again warn this sinister regime [Israel] to leave Lebanon. They should know that Lebanon will be an inseparable part of any agreement and any ceasefire.”

LEBANON 

President Joseph Aoun | Press Interview

“The IRGC is [the] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They don’t agree with, they don’t approve this agreement is what’s happened. It’s not your country, it’s our country. It’s our obligation. It’s not your job to interfere into our country. I reject the statement [by the IRGC, calling for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon to be part of any agreement to end the Iran war] totally, because our people are being killed. Our houses are being destroyed. They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States. It’s unacceptable, and here also Hezbollah must understand that. Hezbollah must understand that no other way but to sit and talk. No other way to solve this problem and to save what’s left, except through negotiation and diplomacy.”