US-Iran talks accelerate amid Trump threat of fresh strikes

US-Iran negotiations have intensified as both sides seek to end the war, but it's reported that US President Donald Trump is seriously considering fresh strikes against Iran if no agreement is reached.

According to two US officials, Trump called a meeting with his national security team on Friday morning to discuss options. Sources familiar with the discussions said that, unless a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, Trump is prepared to renew strikes on Iran.

During the meeting, Trump was briefed on the state of negotiations and potential contingency plans. One US official described the negotiation process as "agonizing," noting that draft proposals are being exchanged "back and forth daily" without substantive progress.

Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and other officials attended the session.

Separately, a US official said that no explosive mines have been detected or destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz, and no vessels have been damaged. Since the outbreak of the conflict, there is no evidence that Iran has engaged in mining activity in the area.

Elsewhere, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday for meetings with senior officials. According to Iranian sources, his visit aims to facilitate negotiations between Iran and the US.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Munir's visit is part of the ongoing diplomatic engagement and "does not indicate a decisive stage" or imply that Iran and the US are close to a final deal. He noted that differences between the two sides are "deep and broad" and cannot be resolved through just a few rounds or weeks of talks.

Baghaei stressed that talks currently focus on ending the war, not nuclear issues. Key negotiation points include ending hostilities on all fronts, stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz, and halting US maritime operations. He added that Iran's immediate priority is a ceasefire within a framework that protects its concerns and interests. On nuclear matters, Baghaei reiterated that Iran, as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Al Arabiya reported Friday, citing informed sources, that a potential US-Iran peace agreement could include nine clauses, including an immediate, comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire; guarantees against attacks on military, civilian, or economic infrastructure; an end to the media war; freedom of navigation in the Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman; a joint monitoring and conflict resolution mechanism; and commencement of negotiations on outstanding issues within seven days.

The draft would also include a gradual lifting of US sanctions in exchange for Iranian compliance, and a commitment to the UN Charter. The initial agreement would take effect immediately upon official announcement by both sides.

A Pakistani source described the discussions as marked by "cautious optimism," though narrowing differences remains difficult, with Iran's enriched uranium program the key sticking point.

The possible deal, reportedly a single-page document likely called the "Islamabad Declaration," would have Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as head of the negotiating team.

Iran, the US, and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28. A first round of peace talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad on April 11-12 failed to produce an agreement. Since then, the two sides have exchanged several proposals mediated by Pakistan.