By Alayna Treene, Adam Cancryn, CNN
(CNN) — As Donald Trump grew increasingly frustrated with diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran, administration officials were closely watching whether the president’s trip to China — a nation with close ties to Tehran — would yield a significant breakthrough.
But Trump landed stateside Friday with seemingly no progress to report.
Speaking to reporters on his journey back to Washington, the US president claimed Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he would like the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and that he agrees Iran should not develop a nuclear weapon. But those were statements China had made previously.
“He would like to see it end. He would like to help. If he wants to help, that’s great. But we don’t need help,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier about his Chinese counterpart in an interview airing Friday.
Several administration officials said they wanted to see how the talks between Trump and Xi played out before determining a path forward on Iran.
But now the president has to decide whether launching more strikes on Iran is his best option for ending a conflict that has dragged on well past the six weeks he initially projected, spiking gas prices and sinking his approval ratings on the economy.
In a Truth Social post made Friday morning China time, Trump said his military campaign against Iran is “to be continued!”
There have been differing views within the administration about how to proceed, sources familiar with the talks said. Some, including officials in the Pentagon, have argued for a more aggressive approach — including targeted strikes — that they hope would further pressure Iran into compromising.
Others, however, have argued for a continued focus on diplomacy. Trump himself has leaned into this approach in recent weeks, in hopes the combination of direct negotiations and economic pressure would convince Iran to strike a deal. But Tehran hasn’t moved much in its terms for a deal since Trump announced a ceasefire in April.
“Well, I looked at it and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday about the latest Iranian proposal.
Vice President JD Vance projected confidence earlier this week, telling reporters he had “spent a good amount of time on the phone with both Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff this morning, and a number of our friends in the Arab world this morning,” referencing the top diplomats Trump has tasked with reaching a deal with Tehran.
“Look, I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is: Do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?” Vance said.
“The president has set us off on the diplomatic pathway for now, and that’s what I’m focused on,” he added.
But with Iran showing no willingness to move off its hardline stance, Trump has grown increasingly impatient. He’s been particularly irked by the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz — which has sent oil and gas prices soaring — as well as perceived divisions in Iranian leadership that have further complicated negotiations, the sources said. Iran’s latest response to the US proposal, and its rhetoric in recent days, has led many officials to question Tehran’s commitment to a serious deal.
“He’s tried bluster, that didn’t work. He’s tried negotiations, that’s hasn’t worked,” said Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO. “He’s trying to find a way to unstick his stuckness.”
There’s rising urgency within Trump’s orbit to find a way out of the conflict as time ticks toward the midterm elections. The war has taken a significant toll on the president’s approval rating as voters feel the economic squeeze, and Republicans are anxious that they’ll suffer the conse