President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran have been meeting “directly and indirectly,” and described Iran’s new leadership as “very reasonable,” as tensions in the Middle East escalate and additional U.S. troops are deployed to the region.
Speaking on Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was cautiously optimistic about potential negotiations: “I think we’ll make a deal with them, I’m pretty sure, but it’s possible we won’t.”
The comments come as Pakistan, acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, announced plans to host “meaningful talks” in the coming days aimed at ending the month-long conflict between the two nations. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that discussions between regional foreign ministers on Sunday explored ways to facilitate a comprehensive settlement.
Meanwhile, Iran has signaled it will not yield under pressure. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, accused the U.S. of signaling negotiations while simultaneously preparing a ground invasion. “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation,” he stated.
The conflict intensified after an Israeli strike on February 28 killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has since been replaced by his son Mojtaba. The war has spread across the Middle East, causing thousands of casualties, major disruptions to global energy supplies, and widespread economic consequences.
The U.S. Department of Defense has dispatched thousands of additional troops to the region, maintaining the option of a ground offensive. An Israeli official confirmed that attacks on Iranian military targets would continue regardless of potential talks.
Trump acknowledged the impact of previous strikes, saying the U.S. had effectively achieved regime change in Tehran, but emphasized that the replacements appear “reasonable,” signaling a window for diplomacy even as hostilities persist.
