Wednesday 25/March/2026 – 04:24 AM
An informed source told Axios that Iranian officials told countries trying to mediate peace talks with the United States that they had been deceived twice by Donald Trump, stressing that they did not want to be deceived again.
American negotiations with Iran
The source explained that the United States is pressing to hold direct peace negotiations as soon as possible, perhaps on Thursday, in Islamabad, Pakistan, noting that during the two previous rounds of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, Trump agreed to launch sudden and widespread attacks, despite at the same time confirming that he was seeking to reach an agreement.
The source revealed that Iranian officials informed the mediators, namely Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, that the US military movements and Trump’s decision to send large military reinforcements increased their suspicions that the call for negotiations might be a hoax.
On the other hand, the Trump administration believes that the mobilization of forces reflects seriousness in negotiating from a position of strength, and not bad faith. One of Trump’s advisors was quoted as saying that Trump is extending an open hand to conclude a deal, while the other hand is a fist ready to strike.
The source indicated that the White House sent messages to Tehran confirming Trump’s seriousness in the negotiations, and raised the possibility of Vice President J.D. Vance’s participation as evidence of this, as advisors recommended his participation due to his stature, and because the Iranians do not see him as a hardliner.
Regarding the negotiations, the source explained that Iran received a 15-item American plan via mediators on Monday morning, hours before Trump announced the talks, adding that Washington seeks to discuss the plan as a single package that includes ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions, and obtaining guarantees regarding the Iranian nuclear and missile program and Tehran’s support for its allies.
He stressed that the United States considers this plan a basis for negotiation, and wants Iran to discuss it during a direct meeting in Pakistan on Thursday, noting that holding the meeting is still unresolved.
The source concluded that Iran’s priority is to stop the bombing and reach a truce, while the United States seeks to find out whether Tehran is ready to make concessions that it did not accept in previous rounds, given that both parties are aware of how these negotiations will end.
In a previous statement, Trump revealed what he described as a “confidence-building gesture” from the Iranian side, saying that Iran had provided a “big gift” related to oil and gas and their flow in the Strait of Hormuz, considering that this indicates that Washington is dealing with “the right parties” in Tehran.
At the same time, according to American and Israeli officials, Trump is seeking to combine the paths of negotiation and military escalation, to make a decision according to developments in the situation, stressing that the war may last from two to three weeks even if the talks begin.
In this context, Trump asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to continue military pressure on Iran, while the latter said: “We are negotiating with bombs.”
The sources confirmed that efforts to launch negotiations have not yet led to a change in the orders of the US Department of Defense to the Central Region Command regarding military operations, with the expectation that additional reinforcements, including squadrons of fighter aircraft and thousands of soldiers, will arrive in the Middle East in the coming days and weeks, in addition to the deployment of a Marine unit this week, and another later, in addition to directing the leadership of the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy in the region.
A White House official indicated that the ground operation option is still on the table, without a final decision being made.
