President Donald Trump told NBC News’s Garrett Haake by phone Monday that he’d be okay with the Iranians suspending peace talks.

The president’s comments came amid Iran state media saying that Tehran had suspended negotiations over Israel’s latest strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Haake wrote on X, “President Trump tells me he’s not heard from Iran on reports they’re suspending talks w/ the US, but if true, its ok: ‘I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good, and that could be that could be for a long time.'”

Trump continued, “It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there. We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel.”

When Haake asked if Trump could “wait them out,” the president responded, “I think I can wait as long as they want. They’re losing a fortune…”

Haake added on X, “The ‘Art of the Deal’ author also seemed to have some grudging respect for the Iranians negotiators when I first asked about reports they were suspending talks: ‘It’s an appropriate thing to say, because they’re better negotiators than they are fighters,'” Trump said.

Shortly after Haake’s reporting, however, Trump seemed to contradict everything he just said.

The president wrote on Truth Social, “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Also Monday, Trump reported that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump wrote. “Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”

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