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U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he was likely to decide by Sunday whether to accept a possible agreement with Iran or resume the war, telling Axios he would meet his negotiators later in the day to review Tehran’s latest offer, Axios reported.
Trump said the chances were a “solid 50/50” between reaching what he called a “good” deal or choosing to “blow them to kingdom come.”
He said he would meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner later Saturday to discuss Iran’s latest response. Vice President JD Vance was also expected to join the meeting.
The latest draft to be reviewed by Trump emerged from talks between Iran and Pakistan.
Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been mediating between the sides, left Tehran on Saturday after meeting senior Iranian officials and trying to push the process toward a deal.
A final agreement was not reached, but Pakistan said there was “encouraging progress toward a final understanding.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Saturday that Tehran and Washington were in the final stage of discussions on a memorandum of understanding to end the war.
The spokesperson said the memorandum would also address gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the U.S. blockade and releasing frozen Iranian funds.
A 30- to 60-day period of negotiations on a detailed agreement would follow, the spokesperson added.
Trump said he would only accept a deal that covers issues including uranium enrichment and the fate of Iran’s existing stockpile.
However, those issues are unlikely to be resolved in detail under the memorandum currently being discussed by the U.S. and Iran to end the war and launch more detailed negotiations.
The U.S. and Iranian positions on both the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz have so far remained irreconcilable.
Those issues might not be fully settled even if a peace memorandum is signed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that “some progress” had been made in the talks and that “there might be some news later today.”
Rubio said Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, must give up its enriched uranium and that the Strait of Hormuz must be fully reopened “without tolls.”
Regional mediators, including Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, have been working over the past 24 hours to bridge the gaps between the sides.
They have held multiple calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
“I think one of two things will happen: either I hit them harder than they have ever been hit, or we are going to sign a deal that is good,” Trump said.
He said some people would prefer a deal while others would rather resume the war.
Trump rejected the idea that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “worried” he might make an unfavorable deal, describing Netanyahu as “torn.”
Israeli officials say Netanyahu is highly concerned about the deal under discussion and has urged Trump to launch another round of strikes.
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