President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States remains “very intent on making a deal with Iran,” signaling renewed diplomatic efforts after ordering a five-day pause on planned military strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
Speaking with reporters at Palm Beach International Airport, Trump stated that Iran is actively seeking to “make a deal” and claimed U.S. envoys have engaged in discussions with a “respected” Iranian leader.
“Iran called. We didn’t call,” Trump said. “My life is deals.”
He reported that his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held extended talks on Sunday that continued into the evening, with further discussions scheduled for Monday.
“They do have some leaders left. … But we think we have people that are very representative of the country and will do a good job in running it,” Trump added, noting that the United States has not communicated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
In a Monday morning Truth Social post, Trump asserted that U.S. and Iranian officials had “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”
During a phone call with CNBC host Joe Kernen, Trump reiterated the push for a deal: “We are very intent on making a deal with Iran.”
Iranian state media disputed Trump’s account, citing an unnamed “senior security official” in a Telegram post that stated no direct or indirect talks had occurred between Washington and Tehran. The official reportedly said: “There has been no negotiation and there is no negotiation, and with this kind of psychological warfare, neither the Strait of Hormuz will return to its pre-war conditions, nor will there be peace in the energy markets.”
Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo reported that Trump confirmed Kushner and Witkoff participated in the talks and that Iran “wants to make a deal badly.” When asked about Iranian television’s claims of no negotiations, Trump responded: “It’s hard to get any information there because the U.S. is blowing up so much of their infrastructure.”
On Saturday, Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on Iranian power plants. The vital waterway carries approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that key infrastructure and energy facilities in the Persian Gulf region could suffer “irreversible destruction” if Iranian power plants were targeted.
