Trump claims Iranian officials seeking deal, but ‘I don’t know if they’re ready yet’

US President Donald Trump reiterates that Iranian officials have expressed interest in reaching a diplomatic agreement with the US, but that he is not ready to do so, in addition to not being sure whether those seeking an off-ramp are even the ones actually in charge.

“They want to make a deal. They’re talking to our people. I don’t know if they’re ready yet. They’re taking a pounding,” Trump tells reporters during an event at the White House.

“We don’t even know who their leaders are because the first group was all dead and the second group got knocked out,” he adds.

“But we met with the next group, but we don’t know who their leader is,” he continues. “We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are.”

Channel 12 speculates that Trump is using the word “met” and “negotiate” rather liberally, but says US special envoy Steve Witkoff has continued messaging Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the Signal app, including in recent days.

Earlier in the war, Witkoff had denied maintaining contact with Iran since the talks fell apart.

Channel 12 says Araghchi recently passed along a message expressing interest in a ceasefire. Araghchi has publicly denied that Iran has any interest in talks with the US or a truce.

Araghchi is seen as close to Ali Larijani, who former supreme leader whom Ali Khamenei tapped as the main decision-maker in the event that he is killed.

Channel 12 speculates that when Trump says he is not sure whether those in Iran who have allegedly reached out to the US are actually in charge, the president is referring to the fact that Khameni’s son Mojtaba is ostensibly supposed to be the one making decisions, not Araghchi and Larijani.