Trump interested in asking Arab countries to help pay for Iran war, White House says

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

RIYADH, March 30, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.S. President Donald Trump is interested in asking Arab countries to help pay for the cost of the war with Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.

Leavitt also said talks with Tehran aimed at ending the conflict were continuing and “going well,” adding that what Iran says publicly differs from what it is communicating privately to U.S. officials. She said Iran had privately agreed to some of Washington’s points.

Earlier on Monday, Trump warned that Iran’s energy plants and oil wells would be obliterated if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz.

Leavitt said any commitments conveyed privately by Iran would be tested and warned that Tehran would face military consequences if it failed to follow through.