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Trump team weighs terms for potential Iran deal
After three weeks of war, the administration of Donald Trump has begun initial discussions about the next phase and what potential peace negotiations with Iran could look like, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official and a source familiar with the matter.
On Friday, President Trump said he is considering “winding down” the war. At the same time, U.S. officials expect the fighting to continue for another two to three weeks, while the president’s advisers seek to lay the groundwork for diplomacy.
According to sources, Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are involved in preparing for possible talks.
Any agreement to end the war would need to include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, addressing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and establishing long-term arrangements on its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for proxy forces in the region. There has been no direct contact between the U.S. and Iran in recent days, but Egypt, Qatar, and the United Kingdom have been passing messages between the sides, sources said. Egypt and Qatar have told the U.S. and Israel that Iran is interested in negotiations but is setting very tough conditions.
Tehran’s demands include a ceasefire, guarantees that the war will not resume, and compensation payments.
“We believe we have managed to contain Iran’s escalation,” one U.S. official said, expressing confidence that Tehran will ultimately agree to negotiations.
According to the official, Washington wants Iran to commit to six key points:
- suspend its missile program for five years;
- fully halt uranium enrichment;
- decommission reactors at facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, which were bombed last year by the U.S. and Israel;
- accept strict international monitoring of centrifuges and nuclear-related equipment;
- sign regional arms control agreements, including limiting missile range to no more than 1,000 km;
- stop funding proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.
Iran has repeatedly rejected parts of these demands. Officials in Tehran also stress the difficulty of negotiating with a U.S. president who has previously shifted from diplomacy to military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Indian counterpart that normalizing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is only possible if U.S. and Israeli attacks stop and guarantees are provided that they will not resume. As for Trump, he said Friday that he is open to talks but not ready to agree to Iran’s demand for a ceasefire at this stage.
Trump considers the demand for reparations “unacceptable,” one official said.
Another official suggested a possible compromise involving the release of Iran’s frozen assets.
“They call it reparations. Maybe we’ll call it the return of frozen funds. There are many ways to frame this in a way that works politically for them and helps reach consensus. It’s a matter of wording. But first we need to get to a point where we can discuss those wordings,” the official said.
Trump’s team is currently trying to answer two key questions: who in Iran is the best point of contact for negotiations, and which country could serve as the most effective mediator.
Araghchi previously led negotiations, but Trump’s advisers view him as a “messenger” rather than a decision-maker. U.S. officials are trying to determine who actually makes decisions in Iran and how to reach them.
Although Oman previously mediated talks, the U.S. is now looking for another intermediary—ideally Qatar—amid mutual distrust of the Omanis. According to U.S. officials, Qatar has already proven effective as a mediator in Gaza-related negotiations.
At the same time, Qatari officials are willing to help behind the scenes but do not want to serve as the primary public mediator.
Sources say Trump’s team wants to be ready for the possibility of launching negotiations with Iran in the near future.
