President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that the United States is engaged in active dual-track diplomacy with Iran, revealing that Washington is simultaneously using back-channel emissaries and holding direct negotiations as part of an intensifying push to resolve the ongoing military and diplomatic standoff with Tehran.
Speaking from 00:28 to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Trump described the talks as progressing favorably, saying negotiations had been “very good” and were “moving along very nicely.” He indicated that Iran was yielding ground on issues the United States had long demanded, stating they were getting “a lot of the things that they should have given us a long time ago.”
The dual-track approach — involving both direct communication and intermediaries — signals a significant diplomatic operation running parallel to ongoing U.S. military operations against Iranian targets. Trump confirmed that American forces had struck a wide range of Iranian military assets, including naval and air force installations, describing the day as “a big day” for U.S. operations.
Despite the military pressure, Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone about reaching a formal agreement, though he acknowledged the unpredictability of dealing with Tehran. “You never know with Iran,” he said, noting that past negotiations had repeatedly broken down, sometimes requiring military escalation to reset the table.
Trump framed the current negotiations as part of a broader 15-point plan presented to Iran, saying that for the most part, Tehran had agreed to the majority of American demands. He described additional concessions still being sought, suggesting the final shape of any deal remained under negotiation.
As a gesture of goodwill — or what Trump interpreted as one — Iran reportedly provided substantial oil shipments. He described receiving what he called “presents” from Tehran: first eight, then ten, and subsequently twenty large vessels carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz, with deliveries beginning the following morning. Trump said he could not define the gesture precisely but interpreted it as “a sign of respect.”
The President expressed confidence that a deal was within reach, telling reporters he foresaw an agreement possibly coming within the week, while stressing that the United States retained overwhelming military options should diplomacy fail. “We have tremendous numbers of ships over there,” he said, adding that American forces had already destroyed 158 Iranian naval vessels, the entirety of Iran’s air force, and most of its missile capability.
Trump also suggested that the Iranian leadership engaging in current talks represented an entirely new political reality inside the country — one he characterized as de facto regime change — arguing that the individuals now at the negotiating table were people “nobody has ever dealt with before” and who were proving “very reasonable.” Read_More…