From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Trump: We’re in ‘deep negotiations’ with Iran, but not going to ‘leave in the middle’ of war
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Donald Trump tells Channel 12 that he is not going to “leave in the middle of the war,” and also says that his administration is in “deep negotiations” with Iran to reach a ceasefire.
He says that his top Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are the point men for ongoing contacts with Iran. Two sources briefed on the talks tell the outlet that there are two channels of communications — one through Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediation, and the other through direct text messages between Witkoff, Kushner, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The foreign ministers from the mediating countries are trying to get the sides to agree on a series of measures that will enable Trump to push off his deadline. They held phone calls yesterday with Kushner and Witkoff, say the sources, which did not have the desired result.
Trump tells Channel 12 that he believes “there is a good chance” that a deal will be reached before his deadline on Tuesday, “but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there.”
Asked whether he is concerned about harming civilians in Iran whom he wants to rise up and topple the regime, Trump says that “they are living in fear.”
“They are afraid we are gonna leave in the middle of the war, but we are not going to leave,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.