According to Trump, Iranian officials are participating in negotiations with the U.S. but refuse to acknowledge it out of fear for their lives.
“They are indeed negotiating and want to reach an agreement. However, they are afraid to talk about it, believing that their compatriots will kill them. They also fear that we will strike,” he added at an event in Washington.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi denied the information about negotiations with the U.S., pointing out that messages are being conveyed through intermediaries.
According to him, exchanging messages is not equivalent to conducting official negotiations. At the same time, Israel is preparing for a possible announcement from Trump about a ceasefire in Iran this coming Saturday, as reported by Channel 12 of Israel.
Israeli sources believe that such a statement could be made even if the Americans do not reach final agreements with Iran.
According to the channel, “the chances of a detailed agreement between Iran and the U.S. are low, but the possibility of a framework agreement still exists, so it is necessary to prepare for it.”
White House Press Secretary Livitt noted that Trump is not joking and is ready for decisive action, warning Iran not to miscalculate.
Additional comments from the press secretary:
— The Iranian regime is looking for a way out — they realize they have been defeated;
— The U.S. President always strives for peace — there should be no more victims and destruction;
— But if Iran does not recognize reality and does not accept its military defeat, Trump will deliver strikes that will be stronger than ever;
— Trump and his team always act within the framework of the law;
— Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing and yielding results.
Iran, through intermediaries, has stated that Lebanon must be a part of all ceasefire agreements with the U.S. and Israel, as reported by Reuters.
“For Iran, Lebanon is a priority — it will not allow the Israelis to violate its sovereignty, as happened after the ceasefire in 2024,” noted one of the agency's sources.
According to former head of British intelligence MI6 Alex Younger, Iran has the advantage in the conflict with the U.S., as reported by The Economist.
“The fact is that the U.S. underestimated the complexity of the situation, and in my opinion, they lost the initiative in Iran about two weeks ago,” Younger stated, adding that the Iranian leadership turned out to be more resilient than expected.
“Back in June, the Iranians made several successful decisions in distributing their military resources and delegating authority, which gave them significant resilience against powerful air operations,” he added, emphasizing that Iran adheres to a “horizontal escalation strategy.”
“They acted by striking Gulf countries and pressuring the U.S. They realized the importance of energy warfare and globalized the conflict, threatening the Strait of Hormuz, which gave them additional tools in hand. They skillfully used their weak position,” Younger concluded.
According to him, control over the Strait of Hormuz gives Iran “superiority” in this conflict.
The record "Iranian negotiators with the U.S. fear they will be killed," first appeared in K-News.
