According to Israeli Keshet 12, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey have been working desperately ahead of the deadline President Trump had previously set for Tuesday night, local time in Sweden. The ministers are said to be in contact with Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump himself described on social media and in interviews "very good and productive" meetings with Iran over the past two days.
The president told CNN that the countries are discussing a 15-point agreement, including a clause that Iran should not have nuclear weapons.
"They really want to make a deal. We want to make a deal too," Trump told CNN.
“No negotiations”
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, gave a completely different picture of the situation.
"No negotiations have been held with the US," he wrote on X and continued
“Fake news is being used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”
The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, described Trump's statement as a "retreat after Iran's clear warning."
"There are no talks between Tehran and Washington," wrote the Mehr news agency, citing Iran's Foreign Ministry.
Trump said contacts would continue, in the hope of a "complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East."
48-hour deadline
On Saturday, the US gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for, among other things, the transport of fossil fuels. Otherwise, the US would bomb Iranian power plants, the president warned.
Early Monday, Iran responded by threatening to mine the Persian Gulf and to attack energy facilities in "all areas that supply American bases with electricity."
In a conversation with CNBC, Trump described the developments in Iran as equivalent to "regime change," even though the Islamist regime remains in place.
According to a source Reuters spoke to, the US updated Israel on the talks with Iran, and Israel will "likely" follow the US and pause attacks on energy targets.
Immediately after Trump's announcement of postponed attacks, oil prices fell and stock markets around the world rose.
