Trump says Iran talks in 'final stages' to end war, as Tehran weighs proposal

“Trump says Iran talks in 'final stages' to end war, as Tehran weighs proposal Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 20:44 US president delivered another vague and contradictory message while Iran said US must end 'piracy' for any deal to be reached US President Donald Trump raises his fist as he attends the United States Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony on Cadet Memorial Field in New London, Connecticut, on 20 May 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP) Off President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were "in the final stages” as Iran said it was studying a new US proposal to end the war. "We're in the final stages of Iran. We'll see what happens. Either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," Trump told reporters. Iran acknowledged that the US had made a new proposal, and said that Pakistan’s interior minister was in the country to facilitate communication with the US. Saudi Arabia welcomed what it described as Trump’s willingness to “give diplomacy a chance” and urged Tehran to make a deal. Middle East Eye reported exclusively that Trump called off a planned attack on Iran this week after being warned by Gulf allies and his own officials not to resume the war during the Hajj pilgrimage. Trump said he was dissuaded from attacking Iran on Tuesday by Gulf states. He told reporters that he would wait a few more days for the "right answer" from Iran. Trump also had a call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose office said the Turkish leader welcomed the extension of a ceasefire and “believed a reasonable solution” to the conflict could be reached. Trump has whipsawed between claiming the US and Iran are on the cusp of a settlement and threatening to restart attacks. Control of the Strait of Hormuz Iran's chief negotiator said the US wanted to restart the war. Speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned of a "forceful response” after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any renewed war would spread far beyond the Middle East. "The enemy's movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war," Ghalibaf said in an audio message carried by Iranian media. Exclusive: Trump postponed US attack on Iran after 'Hajj warning' Read More » As the two sides positioned with statements, there appeared to be some movement in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the US have imposed competing blockades on each other in a bid to assert their dominance over the waterway. Three supertankers carrying six million barrels of oil destined for Asia were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The oil is from Kuwait and Iraq. Two of the vessels are linked to China, and the third, South Korea. Shipping data company Windward showed the vessels sailing at the northern end of the strait, a route along which Iran has guided ships in order to inspect their cargo and impose tolls. US crude prices dropped six percent on Wednesday to around $98 per barrel amid the peace talks and transits through Hormuz. Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a centrepiece of the peace talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Tehran wants to establish a mechanism to ensure “sustainable security” in the Strait of Hormuz alongside Oman. It has previously sought recognition of its control over the waterway in the form of a toll. The US continued its campaign of seizing Iranian vessels in international waters. The US military said on Wednesday that US Marines had boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. "American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship's crew to alter course," US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the region, wrote on X. Baghaei said that the US had to end its "piracy" against Iranian ships as part of any deal. "Despite the negative record of the other side over the past year-and-a-half, Iran is pursuing the path of negotiations with seriousness and good faith, but it has strong and reasonable suspicion over America's performance," he said. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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