Trump doubts the possibility of peace with Iran and hints at the possibility of annihilation

(CNN) - US President Donald Trump said this week that he does not believe it is possible to achieve peace with Iran, in an interview that comes a little more than a month before Republicans face a major test of Americans’ confidence in their leadership.

The interview with Time magazine, on Thursday, covers the president's thoughts on war with Iran, renovations to the White House, the dispute over the Kennedy Center, his disappointment with his choices for Supreme Court justices, and a possible preemptive pardon for members of his administration.

Trump today finds himself in a different political landscape than he was when he last went for an interview with Time magazine in April 2025. He told Time magazine at the time that he was not concerned about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dragging the United States into a potential war with Iran, because he would go "willingly" if they could not reach a nuclear agreement with Iran.

Now, about 7 months after the war with Iran, a recent poll conducted by CNN showed that three-quarters of American adults said that the president lacks a clear plan to deal with the situation, and 78% of them said that he is not making enough efforts to end the war.

One of the most prominent aspects of the interview was Trump’s reference to the impossibility of achieving peace with Iran, at a time when mediators are seeking to bring the two countries back to the negotiating table.

Trump said that "annihilating Iran will achieve peace in the world," and added: "With regard to Iran, I do not believe that peace can ever be achieved."

When asked about his repeated threats to “annihilate” Iran, Trump kept the door open to this possibility.

He said, "Yes, I will do that. It is possible."

Just one day before the interview with Time magazine, Trump told Axios that he expected to hold more talks with Iran.