Asked about the possible impact of US strikes against Iran on oil prices, President Donald Trump told reporters in Texas, "I'm not concerned. I'm concerned about people's lives. I'm concerned about long term health for this country. That's what I'm concerned."
US President Donald Trump says Iran does not want to go far enough in negotiations, shortly after Oman's foreign minister said Tehran was ready to give up its uranium stockpiles and allow IAEA verification.
"They should make a deal, but they don’t want to quite go far enough, and it’s too bad," Trump told reporters in Texas.
"Look, we’ve been playing with them for 47 years, and that’s a long time. They’ve been blowing the legs off our people, blowing the face off our people, the arms. They’ve been knocking out ships one by one. And every month, there’s something else."
"You can’t put up with it too long. We’re not happy with the negotiation. They just don’t want to, they don’t want to say the key words 'we’re not going to have a nuclear weapon'. They have to say 'we’re not going to have a nuclear weapon' and they just can’t quite get there."
Trump said Iran wants "to enrich a little bit. You don’t have to enrich when you have that much oil. So, so I’m not happy with the negotiation. I say no enrichment, not 20%, 30%. They always want 20%, 30%. They want it for civilian, you know, for civil, civil. I think it’s uncivil. So I’m not happy with it."
"But they’re not getting to the right answer. And we’re not gonna see people... 47 years we’ve been doing this with them," he added.
"Iran has agreed to give up its stockpile of enriched material - zero accumulation - and allow for full verification by the IAEA of its nuclear program," CBS News reported citing Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi who acts as a mediator in Iran-US talks.
"The most important achievement is the agreement that Iran will never possess nuclear material capable of producing a bomb. This is entirely new—unlike the deal negotiated during President Obama’s time—and makes the enrichment debate less relevant. With zero stockpiling, it becomes impossible to build a bomb, regardless of enrichment levels. This key point has often been overlooked by the media, and I want to clarify it from a mediator’s perspective," Oman Foreign Minister said in an interview with Face the Nation.
Asked about the rest of the stockpile in Iran, Albusaidi said there is an agreement on that too.
"There's no accumulation. So there will be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling and full verification. That is also equally important achievement. I think a full and comprehensive verification by the IAEA which is the agency in charge of of this this file," he added.
Oman Foreign Minister also said Tehran is open to negotiations for the rest of issues, including missile program.
"Iran, I believe, is open to discussing all issues, including ballistic missiles, though it insists this round remain focused on the nuclear file. Other matters can follow in due course under an appropriate framework. For now, the priority is to finalize a clear nuclear deal that defines each side’s obligations. We have also discussed and tentatively agreed that non-nuclear concerns could be addressed through a regional dialogue between Iran and its neighbors," he said.
US Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday expressed deep skepticism over potential nuclear talks with Iran, mediated by Oman, warning that any deal would face tough Senate scrutiny regardless of party.
“To any dealmaker regarding Iran: please understand your deal will have to come to the Senate and be tested. When it comes to matters like this, it’s not about a political party to me. I am going ask the hard questions no matter who presents the deal,” he posted on X. “To say I’m suspicious that the ayatollah and his regime will change and keep their word is the biggest understatement in history. I would also caution, beware of anything that comes from Oman.”
“It is clear to me that the best and only long term answer is to stand with the Iranian people and demand regime change,” Graham added.
Oil prices climbed around 3% on Friday amid escalating tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States, as traders weighed the risk of potential supply disruptions.
By Friday afternoon GMT, Brent crude futures were up 2.8% at $72.76 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 3.2% to $67.32 per barrel.
Market participants have been closely monitoring the escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, as well as the possibility of a military confrontation that could disrupt oil supplies from Iran and across the region.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has increased oil production in an effort to offset any potential shortfall in global supply from the Middle East.
Tehran has repeatedly warned in the past that it could close the Strait of Hormuz if attacked, a step that would disrupt one of the world’s most vital oil export routes.
Estimates from the US Energy Information Administration show that roughly 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products—about one-fifth of global consumption—pass through the strait each day.
Recent reports in Western outlets on alleged shifts inside Iran’s ruling establishment—particularly the growing role of Ali Larijani—have triggered a mix of denials, dismissals and cautious commentary in Tehran.
The reports come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, as indirect talks continue while President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that military strikes remain an option if diplomacy fails and Washington has expanded its military presence in the region.
The New York Times cited Iranian officials this week as saying Tehran has prepared contingency plans in case of war with the United States or Israel, including scenarios in which senior leaders—even Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—could be killed.
According to the report, the planning is designed to ensure continuity of the Islamic Republic under extreme circumstances, with several senior figures named as part of that contingency structure, including security chief Larijani, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and former president Hassan Rouhani.
The report also suggested that Larijani’s expanding role has reduced the visible influence of President Masoud Pezeshkian in day-to-day governance.
Separately, Le Figaro published a controversial account alleging that during the height of nationwide protests Khamenei was the target of an internal effort led by Rouhani to sideline him from crisis management.
According to the French newspaper, Rouhani gathered several political figures—including former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, clerics from Qom and individuals linked to the Revolutionary Guards—to discuss an alternative leadership arrangement.
Le Figaro said the effort ultimately failed, partly because Larijani did not support the initiative. Rouhani’s office rejected the account outright, describing it as a US-Israeli “fabrication” aimed at “creating doubt and concern in Iranian public opinion.”
Larijani has not publicly addressed either report.
Following the 12-day war with Israel, Khamenei appointed Larijani as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, despite the Guardian Council previously disqualifying him from running in the presidential election.
Salar Velayatmadar, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Larijani now plays “a decisive role in policymaking.”
“The council’s view is central in indirect negotiations with the United States,” he said. “Basically, the negotiations are taken from this council, word by word.”
Iranian media widely republished the New York Times and Le Figaro reports but mostly avoided detailed analysis.
The conservative newspaper Farhikhtegan dismissed the French report as a “fictional scenario” and a “diverse basket of strategic lies,” arguing that such narratives were designed to undermine “national cohesion.”
By contrast, the news outlet Eghtesad24 suggested the New York Times report portrays Larijani as a “crisis manager” operating across multiple arenas—from nuclear diplomacy to regional strategy and wartime planning.
Despite relying on unnamed sources, the outlet wrote, the report reflects an apparent effort by Iran’s political system to adapt to a more dangerous regional environment by strengthening internal coordination and resilience.