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Trump, Netanyahu, Iran talks
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a new push to reach an agreement with Iran during a difficult call on Tuesday, with Axios saying Netanyahu was "in a state of intense anger after the call."
A U.S. official familiar with the call said Trump told Netanyahu that intermediaries were working on a "letter of intent" that the United States and Iran would sign to formally end the war and open a 30-day negotiation period on issues such as the Iranian nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios cited sources saying Pakistan drafted an updated peace memo with regional mediators involved in an effort to bridge the gaps between the United States and Iran.
The same report said Trump wavers about issuing an order to launch a broad military strike on Iran while clinging to the idea of reaching a deal, and on Wednesday he said: "The only question is: do we end it or will they sign a document? Let’s see what happens."
The call and its fallout came as Iran said it is reviewing an updated proposal but has shown no flexibility yet, according to the same account.
Iranian response and US rhetoric
A report attributed to the Guardian said Trump’s words complicate matters and raise Tehran’s fears of striking a deal, describing his approach as mixing threats with arrogance while his blockade of Iranian ports continues.
The same report quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry head Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning that "the imposition of the siege violates the terms of the cease-fire agreement," and said Iran’s negotiating delegation rejected negotiating under threats.
The Guardian report also cited Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh describing Trump as "talking a lot," while it said Trump issued contradictory statements by Tuesday including "I expect to start the bombing."
In a separate thread of the same reporting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Ghana said the U.S. president "thanked Iran for opening the Strait of Hormuz then threatened it" and "vowed a deal with Iran and threatened to rain bombs on it."
Next talks, nuclear demands
President Donald Trump said he believes the Iran war is nearing its end and that Tehran is strongly eager to strike a deal with Washington, while he told FOX NEWS's Mornings with Maria: "I had to make a decision to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."
Trump suggested that peace talks with Iran in Pakistan are likely to resume within the next two days, and the report said the U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance described the goal as brokering a "grand bargain" with Iran to ensure Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions in exchange for full integration into the global economy.
The same account said the ceasefire that has held for six or seven days was described as "steadfast," and it added that sources familiar with the matter said Vance would lead a potential second round of talks if efforts lead to another direct meeting before the ceasefire ends next week.
It also said American envoys Steve Weitekoff and Jared Kushner, who chaired the diplomatic talks before the war began on February 28, are expected to attend any potential meeting, with Trump tasked the three with finding a diplomatic exit from the war.
In parallel, the reporting said Trump told the New York Post on Wednesday he is losing hope that Iran will halt uranium enrichment in any potential new nuclear agreement, saying: "I don’t know. I used to think so, but day by day I am becoming less and less confident about it."
