U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that Iran is "talking to" the U.S., suggesting that he is weighing taking military action, as an aircraft carrier strike group approaches the Middle East. Trump says plans cannot be shared with regional allies.

"The plan is that (Iran is) talking to us, and we'll see if we can do something; otherwise, we'll see what happens," Trump told Fox News on Saturday.

However, Trump refused to share his plan with U.S. allies in the Gulf. "Well, we can't tell them the plan," he said. "If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan. It could be worse, actually.”

Hinting that military intervention against Iran remains an option, Trump said, "The last time they negotiated, we had to take out their nuclear (capabilities). (It) didn't work. Then we took it out a different way, and we'll see what happens."

He added that the U.S. has "a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had in Venezuela," referencing the military strike the U.S. launched against Venezuela on January 3.

Top officials in Tehran also suggested that progress has been made in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian calling for a diplomatic approach.

Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday via a post on X that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing," following a high-level meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that Iran "in no way seeks war" and that a conflict would harm the interests of the U.S., Iran, and the entire region during a call with his Egyptian counterpart on Saturday.

However, earlier remarks by Iranian officials suggest that the U.S. military presence in the region is delaying progress in negotiations.

On a visit to Turkey on Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that while Iran is open to "fair" talks, they will not negotiate "under the shadow of threats."

Iranian army chief Amir Hatami earlier also warned that Iranian forces are at "full defensive readiness" and that their nuclear expertise "cannot be eliminated."

Qatar, the country with the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, has sought to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Tehran, according to a Saturday statement from Qatar's foreign ministry.

The White House's refusal to keep its Middle Eastern allies in the loop also raised some skepticism. According to Axios, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman suggested in a private meeting that the Iranian government would be emboldened if Washington failed to follow through on its military threats. The report came after a lengthy meeting in the White House on Thursday between him and top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Saudi Arabia's stance on U.S. military action against Iran has been cautious. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Iranian president on Tuesday during a phone call that Saudi Arabia would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any attack on Iran. Saudis also urged the U.S. not to bomb Iran three weeks ago, warning of the risk of starting a regional war.

(With input from agencies)