Trump says he prefers deal with Iran but warns military action remains an option

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would rather reach a deal with Iran than resort to military action while warning that the use of force remains an option if diplomacy fails.

"I'd rather make a deal because I don't want to kill people," Trump said at an event in Las Vegas.

Trump said his administration had been prepared to launch the "biggest attack since World War II," but paused those plans after Iranian officials requested talks.

"They called me and they said, 'Please don't do it. Let's talk,'" he said. "They say, 'We never said that.' You know what? The fake news knows they did say that, but we are talking. Let's see what happens, but they respect us."

He maintained that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Turning to oil and gasoline prices, Trump said the prices would drop sharply once the current standoff with Iran is resolved.

"We've been bringing down prices, and as soon as this situation ends with Iran, oil is going to go down to the floor, gasoline is going to go down," he added.

On June 18, Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement and launched negotiations toward a final deal before the talks stalled over disagreements on guarantees for security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, tensions escalated again as the US carried out strikes inside Iran, while Tehran responded by targeting what it described as US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, particularly Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.