'That's too bad': Trump says Iran does not want to go far enough

President Trump speaking in Texas on Friday said the US faces a major decision on Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks, emphasizing the need for a "meaningful" deal rather than a weak one.

"We have a very big decision to make," Trump said. "We have a country that's in 47 years blowing people's legs off, arms off the face. They've been knocking out ships, killing people, lots of people, not only Americans, lots of people been terrible. 32,000 people killed over the last two, three months, protesters, 32,000."

"They want to make a deal, but make a deal that's meaningful. I spoke with Ted Cruz, John, all of them on the way here. I said, we got to make a deal that's meaningful," he added.

"We hit him real hard, as you know, with those beautiful B-2 bombers recently knocked out their nuclear capability, but I'd rather do it the peaceful way. But they're very difficult people. I want to tell you that they're very dangerous people, very difficult people," Trump said.

"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.

Senator Jim Risch, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on Friday welcomed Secretary Rubio's designation of Iran as the first State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, highlighting its deserved status.

"Iran is the first ever country to be designated a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention — and no nation is more deserving of that grim title," Risch said. "Too many Americans have suffered at the hands of the regime, and I'm glad to see the Administration use the authorities given to them by my Countering Wrongful Detention Act."

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.

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.