Trump reviews Iran’s latest proposal to end war, meets Gulf leaders as mediators signal progress | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump met with Gulf officials and other regional leaders on Saturday (local time) to review Iran’s latest proposal aimed at ending the nearly three-month war.
CNN reported that regional leaders urged the US president to accept the framework agreement with Iran during their previous call.
A regional diplomat told CNN: “The call was very positive. There is good progress. Regional leaders supported the progress and the breakthrough that President Trump made during the talks.”
The development comes as negotiators involved in the talks in Tehran indicated that progress had been made towards creating a potential framework for the deal.
In a phone interview with Axios today, the US president described the chances of a deal with Iran as “solid 50/50” ahead of a call with Gulf officials and other regional leaders, adding that he could decide by Sunday whether to resume military action against Iran.
He added that the talks could either lead to a “good” deal or the US deciding to “kick them into the kingdom”.
Read also | US-Iran peace deal: Negotiators signal progress, say deal in final stages
Pakistani and Qatari mediators are negotiating in Iran
The development comes a day after Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran to hold talks with Iran’s top leadership. Qatari officials were also present in Tehran at the same time, with one source saying the United States and Iran were nearing an agreement to work on a more detailed deal in the future.
Although the agreement was not finalized, Pakistan said there had been “encouraging progress towards a final understanding”.
Citing Pakistani sources, Reuters reported that an interim agreement between the two countries was in its final stages, adding that Islamabad and Tehran had sent a revised proposal to Washington to review and end the conflict.
Trump expresses optimism about peace deal
Trump expressed optimism about the deal. In an interview with CBS News, the US president said he had seen a draft of Iran’s proposal and that the two sides were getting “very close” to a deal. However, he would not comment on whether he would agree to the proposal, saying: “I can’t tell you until I tell them, can I?”
Read also | The US claims “little progress” as the Iran deal remains in limbo
A peace deal between the US and Iran soon?
On Saturday, Trump’s call was expected to include leaders from the Gulf states, along with officials from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, a regional source cited by CNN said. He also told Axia that he plans to speak with Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance was seen arriving at the White House earlier in the day.
In addition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a limited security meeting with select ministers and security officials on Saturday night to review developments related to the Iran negotiations, CNN reported.
The diplomatic push follows a meeting on Friday that Trump held with senior US national security officials to discuss possible next steps in the conflict, including the possibility of resuming military operations.
US State Secy indicates progress
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, told reporters in New Delhi: “There may be news today. I don’t have any news for you at this point, but maybe there will be some news later today. Maybe not. I hope there will be, but I’m not sure yet.”
He noted that Washington could have something to say on the issue in the next few days. Elaborating further, Rubio said, “There’s been some progress even as I’m talking to you. There’s some work being done. There’s a chance that whether it’s later today, tomorrow or in a couple of days, we can talk.”
Iran focused on completing MOU: Foreign Ministry
Earlier today, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic said it was focused on finalizing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through talks mediated by Pakistan.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the memorandum of understanding would focus on ending the war, ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and releasing Tehran’s frozen assets overseas, but not its nuclear program. He added: “Sanctions are definitely part of the negotiating topics, but since we are not discussing the nuclear issue at this stage, the details of the lifting of sanctions will not be discussed either.”
Read also | Iran, US move closer to 14-point peace framework, gaps remain
A State Department spokesman also said that 30- and 60-day time limits were included in the text of the memorandum of understanding; however, it was not completed.
“Over the past week, the sights have been getting closer,” he said. “We have to wait and see what happens in the next three to four days,” FARS quoted Baghaei as saying.
He also emphasized that any mechanism regarding 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.”
Pakistan reacts to Munir’s meeting in Iran
After talks held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday, Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, left for Islamabad late in the afternoon. The Pakistani military described the visit as “highly productive” and said the discussions contributed significantly to ongoing mediation efforts.
In a statement, the military added that “intense negotiations over the past twenty-four hours have led to encouraging progress towards a final understanding”.
Although both Iranian and US leaders have suggested diplomatic progress and adopted a more optimistic tone, it remains to be seen whether a peace deal will ultimately materialize, as Trump and his advisers previously believed they were close to a deal in the earlier stages of the war, but none materialized.
Key things
- Continued diplomatic negotiations may lead to a potential peace deal, although uncertainty remains.
- The involvement of regional leaders and mediators is essential to facilitate discussions.
- Military action remains an option if diplomatic efforts fail to produce results.
