Trump Claims Iran Seeks a Deal but Fears Admitting It; Dismisses War Media Coverage as "Fake News"

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, once again reiterated at a Republican fundraiser in Washington that the Islamic Republic is still seeking to reach an agreement through negotiations. He said: "They are negotiating and they very much want to reach a deal, but they are afraid to say so because they think they will be killed by their own people." The US President added: "They also fear that we will kill them," and then said jokingly that no one currently wants to take over leadership of Iran, because they might be assassinated by the United States — "I certainly do not want to." This comes as Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly stated over the past hours that they have no intention of negotiating. A Pakistani official also told media that Iran's response to the US 15-point proposal is likely negative. Trump also criticized media coverage of the war in Iran, claiming that American media reports present a "false" picture of the battlefield situation and that the US holds a superior position in the conflict. Speaking on Wednesday evening (March 25) at the Republican fundraiser in Washington, he called a large volume of media content "fake news" and said it is not surprising if audiences believe the US is losing the war based on these reports — while according to him, American forces are "destroying the other side." Trump also claimed that even some media outlets that he says are "better" describe US performance as merely "acceptable," while the battlefield reality is far beyond these assessments. Referring to Iran's military capability, he said: "They no longer have a navy, they have nothing," and again emphasized that the media's portrayal differs from reality.