Trump says he’s a ‘solid 50/50’ on Iran as he weighs peace deal — warns he may blast regime ‘to kingdom come’
President Trump said it was a “solid 50/50” Saturday whether he could forge a peace agreement with Iran and would likely decide by May 24 whether to resume the war and “blow them to kingdom come.”
Trump made the comments as he prepared to meet negotiators Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to talk over Iran’s latest response to the US peace proposal, Axios reported.
There was a flurry of activity Saturday following hours of uncertainty.
Trump was set to hold a conference call with Gulf leaders at 1 pm.
The Saudis and other Gulf countries had persuaded him to call off a potential attack on Tuesday while talks continued.
Vice President JD Vance returned to DC Saturday from his home in Cincinnati. His motorcade was filmed making its way into the city.
Negotiators from Pakistan and Qatar visited Tehran on Friday in hopes of reaching an agreement.
The president said there was a “draft” of an agreement that he had reviewed, but wouldn’t reveal whether he had approved it, he told CBS News.
“They’re getting a lot closer,” he said.
That was consistent with the latest word from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, even as preparations for a potential resumed military attack on Iran begin.
“There may be news later today. I don’t have news at this very moment, but there might be some news a little later today,” Rubio told reporters. “There may not be. I hope there will be, but I’m not sure yet.”
Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is adored by Trump and had been in Tehran as a mediator, left Iran Saturday.
Earlier Saturday, Trump posted a trolling message on Truth Social asking about the “United States of the Middle East?”
The post showed a map of the region with the American flag painted over Iran, a nation of about 636,000 miles, nearly the size of Alaska.
Iran’s latest proposal is said to deal with reopening the Strait of Hormuz, unlocking frozen Iranian assets, and an additional 30-day period for further talks.
Trump has repeatedly said any final deal must ensure that Iran not get a nuclear weapon, and negotiators have for weeks been discussing how to deal with Iran’s enriched uranium, which Trump calls “nuclear dust.”
One of the reported apparent sticking points between the US and Israel has been debating whether removing the wounded Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei would further destabilize the country or risk putting in a more radical regime, according to a translation of Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom posted Saturday.
Mojtaba, who was selected after the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in the Feb. 28 airstrikes that launched the war, has not been seen in public since rising to power.
Trump had announced plans to travel to his Bedminster, New Jersey club for the weekend – but the schedule was scrapped Friday as the White House announced the commander in chief would stay in DC.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in India Saturday for meetings with “Quad” officials from India, Australia and Japan, said earlier at a NATO conference in Sweden there is “more work to be done” with Iran, adding, “the President would prefer to do a good deal.”
“There’s been some progress. I wouldn’t exaggerate it, I wouldn’t diminish it,” he said.
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