Trump weighs – President Donald Trump is meeting with Gulf and regional leaders to review Iran’s latest proposal to end the war. He tells Axios the chances of an agreement are “solid 50/50,” with a potential decision on whether to resume military action by Sunday. At the sam
Saturday afternoon, Donald Trump was on the phone and then into the next round of diplomacy—meeting with Gulf and regional leaders to review Iran’s latest proposal to end the war.
Hours earlier. the president told Axios that the chances of reaching an agreement with Iran were a “solid 50/50.” In the same phone interview. he said he could decide by Sunday whether to resume military action against Iran. Trump also warned that the talks could produce a “good” deal—or lead the United States to choose to “blow them to kingdom come.”.
The message came as mediators emerged from Tehran sessions suggesting they had moved closer to a framework agreement. Earlier Saturday, U.S. and Iranian officials indicated they may be closer to a framework to end the war after mediators from Qatar and Pakistan held talks in Tehran. One regional source said the U.S. and Iran were moving closer to an agreement aimed at working toward a more detailed deal later.
State Department work was still active in the background as the timeline tightened. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi that diplomatic efforts remained underway behind the scenes. He said: “Even as I speak to you now. there’s some work being done. ” adding. “There is a chance that. whether it’s later today. tomorrow. in a couple days. we may have something to say.”.
In parallel, Trump conveyed optimism in a separate interview. In an interview with CBS News. the president said he had seen a draft of Iran’s proposal and that both sides are “getting a lot closer” to a deal. He did not say whether he would accept the draft. telling the interviewer. “I can’t tell you before I tell them. right?”.
Before Trump’s call with Gulf leaders, the day’s diplomatic machinery had already been in motion. Trump met with top U.S. national security officials Friday to discuss his next steps in the war, including the possibility of resuming fighting.
Rubio’s comments and the mediation talks were not the only signals that the U.S. timeline could move quickly. Trump’s Saturday call was expected to include Gulf leaders and officials from Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt. The reporting also said Trump planned to speak with Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. his son-in-law. and that Vice President JD Vance was spotted arriving at the White House Saturday.
Across the region, Israel was preparing its own response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene a limited security consultation on Saturday evening with selected ministers and security officials to discuss developments in Iran negotiations, according to an Israeli source.
Inside the U.S. political debate, GOP Iran hawks were urging caution. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker—chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee—said the negotiations will “define” Trump’s legacy and urged the president to “finish what we started.” Wicker wrote Friday that the president’s instincts have been to “finish the job he started in Iran. ” but argued he is “being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on.” He added that further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham also expressed concern. He warned that Iran could be perceived as a dominant “force requiring a diplomatic solution. ” which he said could have broad implications for the region. Graham posted on X Saturday that the combination of Iran being perceived as having the ability to terrorize the Strait in perpetuity and to inflict massive damage to Gulf oil infrastructure is a “major shift of the balance of power in the region” and “over time will be a nightmare for Israel.”.
In Tehran, the central question was what exactly a proposed memorandum would—and wouldn’t—cover. Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran has been focused on finalizing a memorandum of understanding through Pakistani-mediated talks. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Saturday that the memorandum would focus on ending the war, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iran, and the release of Tehran’s blocked assets overseas, but not its nuclear program.
Baghaei said, “Sanctions are definitely part of the negotiation topics,” but because Iran is not discussing the nuclear issue at this stage, “there will be no negotiation on the details of lifting sanctions either,” as cited by semi-official FARS news agency.
Iran’s own negotiators and officials kept pressing the message that the groundwork for an agreement was advancing even as key sticking points remained. Several regional sources told CNN there was cautious optimism about negotiations. One regional source said. “Things are moving in a positive trajectory.” Another source said. “the deadlock is over. ” though it was not immediately clear whether that referred to deadlock over core sticking points or simply the text of a memorandum.
The same reporting pointed to major disagreements including what happens to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, its domestic enrichment program, and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively shut.
Earlier this week, a source said work was also underway regarding a potential unfreezing of Iranian assets.
After meetings in Tehran on Friday and Saturday. Pakistan’s military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir left for Islamabad late in the afternoon local time. The Pakistan Military said the visit was “highly productive. ” adding that the talks “contributed meaningfully towards the mediation process.” It said: “The intensive negotiations over the last twenty four hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding.”.
Baghaei said the memorandum text included 30- and 60-day timeframes, but it had not yet been finalized. He added: “Over the past week. the viewpoints have been getting closer. ” and “We must wait and see what will happen in the next three to four days.” Baghaei also said any mechanism concerning the Strait of Hormuz should be agreed between Iran. Oman. and the countries bordering the waterway. and that the United States “has nothing to do” with it.
Iran’s negotiators responded with defiance as the diplomatic push continued. Iran’s chief negotiator. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. warned after his talks with Munir that Iran “will not back down from the rights of our nation and country – especially when dealing with a party that has never shown sincerity and in which no trust exists.” He also said Iran’s armed forces “have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire” so that if Trump “makes the mistake of restarting the war. ” it would be “more crushing and bitter for America than the first day of the war. ” according to a report from Iran’s state broadcaster.
Meanwhile. Fada Hussain Maleki. described as a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. told semi-official agency ISNA in an interview that “it feels like we are getting closer to a final agreement. but there are still challenges. ” adding there would be further talks Saturday.
For Trump. the coming hours carry a clear edge: he said he could decide by Sunday whether to resume military action. even as U.S. officials continue describing ongoing work and mediators in Tehran signal movement. The negotiations—centered on a memorandum aimed at ending the war, lifting a U.S. naval blockade. and releasing blocked assets while leaving the nuclear program out of this stage—are being tested against a political reality inside the U.S. where lawmakers argue the margin for error is shrinking.
Donald Trump Iran proposal Gulf leaders Qatar mediators Pakistan mediators Tehran talks Marco Rubio Jared Kushner Steve Witkoff JD Vance Netanyahu consultation Lindsey Graham Roger Wicker Asim Munir Esmail Baghaei Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf memorandum of understanding Strait of Hormuz