President Trump said Saturday he would approve an agreement with Iran only if it met all U.S. demands, even as indirect talks and regional mediation continued toward a potential framework to end the conflict.
Trump told CBS News the two sides were “getting a lot closer” and that the latest U.S. proposal — conveyed through mediators — included steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, release some frozen Iranian assets and continue negotiations. He said he believed the package would prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and that he “wouldn’t even be talking about it” otherwise. But he added bluntly that he “will only sign a deal where we get everything we want.”
The White House is scheduling high-level diplomacy: sources said Trump plans to speak with leaders of Gulf states and other partners on a Saturday conference call to discuss the negotiations and to consult on next steps.
U.S. and regional officials cautioned that talks remain unsettled. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, traveling in India, said there had been “slight progress” and suggested there might be developments soon, but he tempered expectations. Rubio repeated core U.S. conditions: Iran must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons, the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened to commercial traffic without tolls, and Iran’s enriched uranium must be addressed. He also warned allies to prepare a “Plan B” if Iran refuses to restore free transit through the strait.
Iran, meanwhile, pushed back on parts of the U.S. agenda. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Saturday that the nuclear file was not included in an initial framework Tehran was drafting to end the war, and that nuclear issues would be addressed in separate talks later. Iran’s negotiating team also framed its demands as restoring rights — lifting sanctions and returning frozen assets — rather than “concessions.”
Pakistan and Qatar have played active mediation roles. Pakistani mediators described recent meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran as “short but highly productive.” Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, led talks with senior Iranian ministers and the parliament speaker. Qatari officials also joined mediation efforts; Qatar’s emir spoke by phone with President Trump on Saturday, though officials gave no details of the call.
The diplomatic push comes against an intense military backdrop. U.S. Central Command said the U.S. maritime blockade of Iranian ports and associated vessels has redirected about 100 commercial ships since mid-April, highlighting the operation’s scale and its claimed impact on Iran’s economy. CENTCOM also noted that a number of humanitarian aid vessels have been allowed to pass. U.S. planners have reportedly prepared options for new military strikes against Iran even as diplomacy continues, and some American service members and officials adjusted travel and troop rotations amid heightened readiness.
The wider regional conflict continued to produce casualties. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that recent Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people, including paramedics and a child, as exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah persisted despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire earlier in April. The humanitarian toll and attacks on medical workers have drawn international concern.
International institutions and allies have reacted in parallel. A four-week U.N. review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ended without consensus, with disagreement linked in part to text about Iran’s ability to “never seek” nuclear weapons. The European Union moved toward expanding sanctions targeting Iranian officials and others involved in what it called actions undermining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers remain divided. Senate Armed Services Committee chair Roger Wicker urged continuing military pressure, saying “we must finish what we started,” while House Republicans delayed a vote on a war powers resolution that would have required the president to withdraw forces — a sign of shifting political dynamics over the conflict.
Markets reacted to diplomatic momentum: U.S. stocks rose Friday amid optimism that a resolution could ease energy pressures and lower geopolitical risk, even as oil prices stayed elevated and forecasts warned of sustained higher energy costs in Europe into at least 2027.
As indirect talks proceed, U.S. officials stressed they were consulting closely with regional partners and allies. Tehran signaled willingness to consider proposals conveyed by mediators but also insisted it would press for the lifting of sanctions and the return of assets. With both diplomacy and military options still on the table, officials on all sides say the coming days will be critical in determining whether negotiators can bridge remaining differences and secure a lasting pause in hostilities.