Speaking in a telephone interview with French news channel LCI on Saturday, Trump said: “The temporary pause in the strikes does not mean we have backed down.”

He added, “We remain ready to launch a large-scale attack on Iran if it does not do what we want.”

The United States was prepared to return to war if diplomacy did not produce the desired outcome, he added.

“If we don’t get 100% of what we want, absolutely,” Trump said when asked whether he would resume a full-scale conflict with Iran.

His remarks came a day after reports that he ordered the US military to suspend new strikes on Iran, ending 13 consecutive nights of attacks.

According to Axios, Trump declined to approve a fresh round of strikes planned for Friday after nearly two weeks of daily military operations.

It remains unclear whether the halt is a temporary tactical pause or signals a broader shift in US strategy toward the conflict.

The White House has said Trump wants to leave room for diplomacy while keeping military options on the table should negotiations with Tehran fail.

During the interview, Trump also defended his approach to relations with Europe, saying US allies were fortunate to have his administration as a partner.

“They’re lucky they have me as their friend,” he said when asked whether he had a message for European allies.

Trump, however, declined to say whether he planned to impose additional tariffs on the European Union, responding only: “I don’t want to comment on that.”

His comments followed fresh threats against the EU over penalties imposed on major American technology companies.

On Friday, Trump accused the bloc of unfairly targeting US firms, including Apple, Meta, Amazon and Google, with multibillion-dollar fines.

In a post on Truth Social, he described the EU’s actions as “illegal and highly unethical” and warned that the bloc would “pay a very big price.”

He also said the penalties would ultimately be reversed and reiterated his administration’s intention to impose substantial tariffs on European imports at the earliest opportunity.