Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran will not receive sanctions relief in exchange for giving up its highly enriched uranium, as Washington and Tehran attempt to reach an agreement to end the crisis that has caused turmoil in the Middle East over the past three months.

In a brief phone call with PBS News, the US president firmly rejected the possibility of easing US sanctions on Iran as part of a deal over its nuclear program, saying: “No, not at all. There will be no lifting of sanctions.”

The US president reiterated that he believes Iranian leaders “very much want to reach a deal.”

“Up to now they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” he told reporters before a cabinet meeting at the White House.

“Either that, or we’ll have to finish the job.” He also added: “They are negotiating with their last reserves of energy. But we will see what happens.”

Meanwhile, as negotiations to end the conflict with Iran remain uncertain, the US president convened a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, seeking to present progress on a crisis that has carried political and economic costs domestically.

The meeting comes days after Trump said his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East. Despite the president’s public assurances, talks continue to be marked by uncertainty.