President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran wants a settlement with the United States “as soon as possible” and that a deal “could happen,” as Washington reported progress in negotiations aimed at ending the confrontation with Tehran.
The president’s remarks came amid intensified diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement, with Vice President JD Vance reporting progress in negotiations and regional mediators working to bring Washington and Tehran closer to a settlement.
“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!” Trump wrote Monday afternoon on Truth Social.
Trump also touted a sharp decline in oil prices, attributing the drop to expectations that further fighting with Iran could be avoided.
“Oil Prices are DROPPING LIKE A ROCK, down almost $10 a Barrel, A RECORD, because people feel that there will not be a War with Iran,” he wrote.
Trump made similar remarks earlier Monday during his final campaign appearance ahead of the midterm elections, again highlighting the damage inflicted on Iran’s military and suggesting Tehran was eager to reach an agreement.
Speaking near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, Trump reiterated that Iran’s navy and air force had been devastated and its missile capabilities severely weakened.
“They want to make a deal. And it could happen,” Trump said.
Trump also indicated Monday that he was willing to give negotiations more time, telling Axios that the economic and military damage already inflicted on Iran had reduced the urgency of resuming American strikes.
“One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush,” Trump said.
The president pointed to Iran’s deteriorating economy and the severe financial pressure imposed by Washington as reasons he saw little need to rush into further military action.
“We crippled them financially,” Trump said, while reiterating his criticism of Tehran’s repeated efforts to drag out negotiations despite the mounting pressure on the Iranian government.
Vance, meanwhile, said Monday that Washington had made progress in negotiations with Iran, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that he had spoken with Trump about an hour earlier.
“The president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement,” Vance said.
Vance said the administration had made progress but cautioned that Iran remained unpredictable and that Trump retained both military and nonmilitary options.
Asked whether Washington had established a deadline for Tehran to reach an agreement before strikes could resume, Vance said none had been set.
He stressed that Washington’s central requirement remained verifiable assurances that Iran would not rebuild the nuclear program targeted by earlier American strikes.
“We want to make sure they don’t rebuild it or try to rebuild it. That’s what matters most to the United States,” Vance said.
The latest diplomatic exchanges followed a letter Vance reportedly sent last week to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), exploring a possible agreement as Washington weighed further military action.
Despite the renewed negotiations, Tehran has maintained demands Washington previously rejected, including an end to the American naval blockade, sanctions relief and concessions involving shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that “the ball is in the U.S. court,” maintaining that Tehran had already presented its demands and was awaiting Washington’s response.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has offered to shorten implementation of Iran’s existing seven-step proposal from one week to two days, without substantially altering the conditions Washington has rejected.
Reuters reported Monday that Iranian negotiators had departed Doha after several days of mediated discussions without a breakthrough, although a draft proposal was circulating and further talks remained possible.
Qatar has intensified its mediation between Washington and Tehran, with a delegation reportedly heading to the Iranian capital Monday for its third visit within a week, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, as negotiators continued exploring proposals to narrow the differences between the two sides.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman also said he discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, alongside strategic defense cooperation and continuing Houthi attacks on the kingdom.
The diplomatic efforts come amid continued American military preparations and heightened concerns across the region over the possibility of renewed strikes against Iran.
Trump previously said the United States would not resume attacks before the midterm elections, while multiple reports over the past week have described preparations for possible military action afterward.
American officials have examined options for renewed strikes, while Gulf governments have warned that another confrontation could trigger Iranian retaliation against military installations, energy infrastructure, and shipping routes.
Trump, however, appeared to distance himself Monday from the prospect of immediately resuming strikes after the elections.
Asked whether he was considering striking Iran again after the midterms, Trump answered, “No,” according to NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake, who said he shouted the question as the president was leaving his Washington appearance.
Trump has nevertheless repeatedly warned that the United States could resume military operations against Iran, including additional strikes against nuclear facilities, while insisting that Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.
At a campaign rally in Iowa on Sunday, Trump said he had refrained from further strikes to avoid additional casualties but warned that his willingness to hold back was not unlimited.
“The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can,” Trump said. “But at some point, we’re going to have to give them the hammer.”
For now, negotiations remain underway without an announced deadline, as Washington continues pressing for verifiable nuclear restrictions and Tehran maintains demands that have yet to produce an agreement.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
