Trump Says US-Iran Talks Ongoing, Warns of Escalation if No Deal

US President Donald Trump has said that negotiations with Iran are continuing, pushing back against reports that Tehran had suspended talks, while warning that a failure to reach a deal would bring renewed American military action.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that "talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," according to TASS — English and Yonhap News — English. He also said that "the conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today," as reported by Deutsche Welle and the Jerusalem Post.

Trump's remarks appeared to respond to media reports, citing Iranian sources, that Tehran had suspended indirect negotiations with Washington. The suspension was said to be in protest against Israel's continuing military operations in Lebanon, a claim that Trump dismissed as "false and erroneous," according to Deutsche Welle.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he had not heard from Iran that they were suspending talks, but he believed there had been too much talking and that "going silent" could be helpful, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Trump also emphasized the urgency of reaching a deal, saying, "It's time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You've been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer," according to Deutsche Welle.

Iran's Position and Regional Mediation

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that current negotiations with the United States are focused solely on ending the war, according to the Jerusalem Post. Baghaei dismissed reports of discussions on Iran's nuclear program, saying that such talks are "not being held at this stage," and added that "the rest of the discussions that are being raised now are media speculation."

Earlier, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke by phone about facilitating mediation efforts between the US and Iran, according to the Jerusalem Post. They discussed coordinating efforts for de-escalation to increase regional security and stability amid ongoing exchanges of strikes between Israel and Iran.

Trump has also said he wants to keep talks on the conflict in Lebanon separate from negotiations over the war between the US and Iran, according to Al Jazeera. He has been pressing Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, but the bombardment in the south has continued, undermining a potential deal with Iran, which insists the two tracks are inseparable.

Trump's Warning and Domestic Criticism

On May 25, Trump said that peace negotiations with Iran were proceeding "nicely," while warning that if a deal is not reached, US attacks would resume on a scale "bigger and stronger than ever before," as reported by Yonhap News — English. He wrote, "Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all -- Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before -- And nobody wants that!"

The remarks came amid criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over the emerging framework, which reports said would include a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and continued negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) told CNN that a potential peace deal "doesn't make sense" and that any agreement with Iran is "doomed to fail" if not subject to congressional ratification, according to Yonhap News — English.

Trump also proposed that any agreement to end the Iran war should require several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements from his first term, according to The Hindu — World. He pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as countries that should "immediately" sign on, alongside Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were the first to join in 2020.

Trump wrote that "after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords," as cited by The Hindu — World.

Saudi Arabia has maintained that any normalization deal requires first establishing a clear path for Palestinian statehood, a stance echoed by Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, according to The Hindu — World.

Perspectives

  • Trump Administration: President Trump projects optimism about the talks, insisting they are ongoing and progressing, while warning of severe consequences if no deal is reached. He frames a potential agreement as a "great deal" and dismisses critics as "weak and ineffective."
  • Iranian Government: Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says negotiations focus solely on ending the war, denying any nuclear discussions at this stage and labeling other reports as media speculation.
  • Regional Mediators: Qatar and Saudi Arabia are coordinating efforts to facilitate US-Iran mediation and promote de-escalation, reflecting their interest in regional stability.
  • US Congressional Critics: Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Thom Tillis, express skepticism about the emerging deal, calling for congressional ratification and questioning its viability.