The war in Iran has now lasted 27 days with no ceasefire in sight. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump shared a sharp take on Iran’s strengths and weaknesses during a cabinet meeting at the White House.
“They’re not fools. They’re very smart actually in a certain way and they’re great negotiators,” Trump told reporters. “I say they’re lousy fighters but they’re great negotiators.”
Iranian officials said they were not talking to the United States but Trump said they were. He claimed Iran’s leaders were begging for a ceasefire deal.
He also accused outlets like The Wall Street Journal of getting the story wrong about who wanted the deal more.
Trump’s comments came after Iran turned down a 15 point American peace plan and put forward its own big list of demands to end the fighting.
The Trump administration has been using mediators including Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, to try to set up high level talks with Tehran.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social to warn Iran’s negotiators. He called them very different and strange and said they better get serious soon before it is too late because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK and it won’t be pretty.
Trump’s five day pause on strikes against Iran’s energy sites is set to end on Saturday. Officials have said a major military escalation is more likely if talks do not move forward especially while the Strait of Hormuz stays closed.
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar confirmed on Thursday that indirect talks between Washington and Tehran were happening through messages passed on by Islamabad. He said Turkey and Egypt were also helping with the effort.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that Tehran was not negotiating with the United States. He said the exchange of messages through other countries did not count as formal talks.
A senior Iranian official separately told Iran’s Press TV that the US terms were excessive and called the negotiations a ploy.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking at the same cabinet meeting, said the military campaign had been a success. He said it had opened new ways to make sure Iran could not get a nuclear weapon.
The death toll in Iran has passed 1,500 according to Tehran’s latest figures. Brent crude oil traded at around $104 a barrel on Thursday, up 60% from pre war levels.
Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the UAE put out a joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks on their territory and said they were ready to act in self defence.
In the days ahead, Trump’s view of Iran as weak on the battlefield but strong at the negotiating table could face a real test.
