United States President Donald Trump says Washington and Tehran are moving “a lot closer” to reaching an agreement aimed at ending the escalating Middle East conflict, even as both sides continue to exchange threats and signal major unresolved differences.
Speaking in a phone interview with CBS on Saturday, Trump expressed cautious optimism over ongoing negotiations with Iran but warned that failure to secure a deal could trigger severe consequences.
“If we don’t come to an agreement, we’re going to have a situation where no country will ever be hit as hard as they’re about to be hit,” Trump said.
Iran, however, indicated that while progress had been made, significant gaps still remain. Tehran announced that it was finalizing a 14-point “framework agreement” for a potential deal with the United States, suggesting that negotiations are ongoing but far from concluded.
In a separate interview with Axios earlier Saturday, Trump struck a more measured tone, describing the chances of a breakthrough as “a solid 50/50.” He also reportedly warned that he would “blow them to kingdom come” if diplomacy fails.
The latest developments come amid rising fears of a wider regional conflict, with reports on Friday suggesting Trump was weighing a fresh round of military strikes on Iran as tensions entered their 13th consecutive week.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that a major announcement could emerge later Saturday.
“There may be some news a little later today,” Rubio said during a visit to India, before adding cautiously, “there may not be.”
According to Axios, Trump is also expected to hold talks with Vice President JD Vance alongside key negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as diplomatic efforts intensify behind closed doors.
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, has reportedly been in Iran this week in an effort to help bridge differences between both sides and push negotiations toward a settlement.
In another sign of the seriousness of the situation, Trump abruptly announced Friday that he would skip his son’s wedding this weekend due to what he described as “circumstances pertaining to government.”
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