US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would meet with his negotiators later in the day to discuss Iran’s latest offer and would likely make a decision by Sunday on whether to resume the active phase of the war. He said this in a comment to the publication Axios.
Trump said that the probability that he will be able to reach a good deal or “wipe them off the face of the earth” is “exactly 50 to 50”.
Later, the US president is expected to hold a conference call with the leaders of the Persian Gulf states to discuss the situation around Iran. This was reported by two sources familiar with the plans.
Trump said he would meet with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss Iran’s latest response. Vice President J.D. Vance is also expected to join the conversation.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Iran and the United States were in the final stages of discussing a memorandum of understanding to end the war. Trump said he would only accept an agreement that would cover uranium enrichment and the fate of Iran’s existing stockpiles.
“I think one of two things is going to happen: either I’m going to hit them harder than I’ve ever hit them before, or we’re going to make a great deal,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 23 that there was “some progress” in the talks and “maybe there will be some news later today.”
Earlier this week, Trump said he had postponed a new series of strikes on Iran, citing the high chances of reaching an agreement through diplomacy.
On May 20, Trump suggested that the US would have to resort to more powerful strikes if talks with Tehran did not result in an agreement.
