Trump says he “expects to be bombing” again as two-week ceasefire nears its end

Asked by CNBC’s Joe Kernan whether he would extend the current ceasefire with Iran if peace talks do begin and make some progress, President Trump indicated Tuesday that he would not prefer that option.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” he said, adding that there won’t be much time left for negotiating once U.S. and Iranian representatives arrive in Islamabad before the expiration of the ceasefire.

Iran has not yet committed to attending a second round of talks with the U.S. in Pakistan, but preparations have been underway for the arrival of delegations for days.

The president said Iran can “get themselves on very good footing” if its leaders reach a deal with the U.S.

Pressed again about what he would need in order to stave off a resumption of U.S. bombing, Mr. Trump told CNBC that he “expects to be bombing.”

“I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he said. “But we’re ready to go.”