‘Iran Wants Ceasefire’: Donald Trump Threatens To Send Tehran ‘Back To The Stone Age’

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran's newly installed president has reached out seeking a ceasefire, even as senior Iranian officials publicly rejected any suggestion of halting the conflict and vowed to continue fighting. The sharp contrast between Trump's remarks and Tehran's official position has further deepened uncertainty over the next phase of the war.

Trump says ceasefire possible only if Strait of Hormuz is cleared

In a post on Truth Social ahead of his address to Americans on the war situation, Trump said Iran's president was seeking an end to hostilities and described him in strikingly different terms from earlier Iranian leaders.

"Iran's New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!"

Trump, however, made it clear that any pause in the fighting would depend on developments in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.

"We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!", Trump wrote.

The statement signalled that Washington's position remains tied not only to military pressure but also to securing unrestricted movement through one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.

Iran says it will keep fighting, rejects 'threats and deadlines'

Even as Trump claimed Tehran wanted a ceasefire, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a firm rebuttal in an interview with Al Jazeera aired late Tuesday, saying Iran had no intention of backing down.

"You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines," he said. "We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves."

Araghchi also laid out Iran's position on ending the conflict in direct terms, saying, "Our conditions for ending the war are clear. We will not accept a ceasefire."

His comments appeared to directly contradict Trump's assertion and underscored Tehran's public stance that military resistance remains its chosen path.

Araghchi confirms direct messages from US envoy, but denies negotiations

In the same interview, Araghchi acknowledged that he has been receiving direct communications from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, though he insisted this should not be interpreted as formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

"I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations," he said.

He further cast doubt on any diplomatic breakthrough, adding, "We do not have any faith that negotiations with the US will yield any results. The trust level is at zero."

The remarks suggest that while backchannel communication remains open, Iran is not prepared to frame the contact as a sign of renewed diplomacy or compromise.

Iran warns it is ready for any US ground assault

Araghchi also addressed the possibility of a US ground offensive, saying Iran was prepared for any escalation and warning Washington against such a move.

"We are waiting for them."

"We know very well how to defend ourselves," Araghchi reportedly told the Qatar-based broadcaster. "In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake."

His comments reflect Tehran's effort to project readiness for a wider military confrontation, even as the region remains on edge over whether the conflict could spill into a larger war involving direct US military intervention.

About a week earlier, reports had suggested that Araghchi and Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were temporarily removed from Israel's hit list to allow room for possible Washington-Tehran engagement. That context adds another layer of complexity to the current exchange of threats, public messaging and backchannel contact.