President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Tehran had offered Washington a “very significant prize” related to oil and gas, expressing optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be possible.
Trump did not provide details about the offer he said Iran had made but described it as related to oil, gas and the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among the officials leading the talks and were "dealing with the right people" in Iran.
Tehran has not publicly acknowledged any such proposal. Iranian officials, however, have been quoted by various outlets as saying that they have received proposals conveyed through intermediaries and are reviewing them.
Trump suggested that Tehran was eager to reach an agreement after weeks of fighting with the United States and Israel.
“And the other side, I can tell you they’d like to make a deal, and who wouldn’t?” Trump said. “If you were there, look, their navy’s gone, their air force is gone, their communications are done — that’s the biggest problem.”
The president’s remarks marked a shift in tone from comments he made at the White House last week, when he said he did not want a cease-fire.
Pressed on the apparent reversal, Trump said the change reflected the progress of talks.
“The fact that they are talking to us and they are talking sense,” he said.
Trump reiterated that the central condition of any agreement would be Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.
“And remember, it all starts with they cannot have a nuclear weapon, just as I said yesterday,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, number one, two and three is they can’t have a nuclear weapon,’ and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon, and we’re talking about that.”
Officials in Washington have indicated that potential talks could involve senior US negotiators and intermediaries in countries such as Pakistan or Turkey, as diplomatic efforts intensify alongside the continuing conflict.
Iranian officials have acknowledged indirect contacts with Washington but have said any agreement would require recognition of Iran’s rights under international law and relief from sanctions.
