Iran live updates: Trump says Iran will make a deal or be 'decimated'

Ahead of his trip to China, President Donald Trump gave conflicting answers when asked on Tuesday if Beijing should intervene to help end the war with Iran.

"I don't think we need any help with Iran," he said at first. Minutes later, when Trump was asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping was the person who could revive the ceasefire, the president said he would like whatever help Xi can offer.

But, when pressed on Xi's possible help, Trump again said the U.S. did not need assistance. "They're defeated militarily, and they'll either do the right thing or we'll finish the job," Trump said.

Moments later, Trump added that he "wouldn't say Iran" is one of the topics he plans to discuss with Xi because the U.S. has it "under control."

"We're either going to make a deal or they're going to be decimated, one way or the other," Trump said.

Trump again dismissed economic concerns related to the ongoing war, suggesting inflation would fall 1.5% after the war ends amid what he predicted would be a "gusher of oil."

"And one way the other, it's going to work out very well. Going to work out very well. I think you have so much oil, you're going to have a gusher of oil like you've never had before," Trump said, once again stressing that he thought oil prices would have risen higher.

"And as soon as this war is over, which will not be long, you're going to see oil prices drop, and you're going to see a stock market, which is already at the highest point in history, go through the roof. You're going to see the golden age of America, frankly, and you're seeing it now," Trump said.

Asked about the progress of negotiations with Tehran, Trump said, "Well, we're going to see what happens. We're only making a good deal."

"But I believe that one way or the other, it's going to be very good for the American people, and I think actually very good for the Iranian people," Trump said.

The Iran war is estimated to have cost $29 billion, acting Pentagon comptroller Jules W. Hurst III told lawmakers Tuesday morning during a House Appropriations hearing.

Two weeks ago, Hurst testified it was $25 billion, much of which was attributed to munitions costs.

Hurst said the updated number comes after accounting for, "replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs keep people in theater."

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., asked Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth when Congress would get a more detailed accounting for war costs.

"When it's relevant and required, we will share it," Hegseth responded.

-ABC News' Steven Beynon

President Donald Trump told Fox News journalist John Roberts he is considering restarting Project Freedom, but noted that the U.S. Navy's role in allegedly "guiding" ships through the Strait of Hormuz would "only be a piece of it."

Further details of the president's plans with the operation were not immediately available.

Project Freedom went into effect exactly one week ago before Trump abruptly paused it Tuesday evening.

According to Fox News, Trump expressed confidence in Iran complying with his demands, saying "they're going to fold." On Sunday, Trump blasted Iran's response to the U.S. proposal, calling it "totally unacceptable."

Asked whether he wishes to negotiate with a new round of leaders in Iran, Trump told Fox News, "I will deal with them until they make a deal."

Trump has repeatedly criticized Iran's leadership, saying they're disjointed and not able to communicate with each other. In recent weeks, the president has also suggested that he doesn't need to make a deal with Iran at all.

Trump also reportedly told Fox News that Iranian negotiators said Iran does not have the technology to retrieve their nuclear dust and that the U.S. must go into Iran to obtain it.

During an Oval Office event about maternal health on Monday, President Donald Trump continued to rail against the Iranian proposal response that he received Sunday, calling it "unacceptable" and "a piece of garbage" that he didn't even finish reading, adding that the current ceasefire with Iran is "unbelievably weak."

Trump said he has the "best plan ever" which requires that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon-- something he said Iran's latest proposal did not explicitly agree to.

"It was just unacceptable. You know, a lot of people said, 'Well, does he have a plan?' Yeah, of course I do have a plan. I have the best plan ever," Trump said.

He later added, "But the plan is, they cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they didn't say that in their letter."

The president also declared the ceasefire is now at its "weakest" point because of the unsatisfactory response.

"It's unbelievably weak, I would say. I would call it the weakest right now. After reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it," he said.

But Trump continued to insist that he is facing "no pressure" to secure a deal or end the war, pushing back on claims that he would "get tired" of the operation.

"Are they stupid people? They didn't want to believe it. They think that, well, I'll get tired of this, or I'll get bored or I'll have some pressure, but there's no pressure. There's no pressure at all. We're going to have a complete victory," Trump said.

Trump pointed to disagreement over the removal of enriched uranium from Iran as one of the biggest issues with Iran's latest response.

"They changed their mind, because they didn't put it in the paper," Trump said of removing the uranium.