Hopes of a breakthrough in efforts to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran rose after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance struck an optimistic tone, suggesting that negotiations with Tehran were making significant progress and that a deal to halt hostilities could be within reach.
Trump said the war could be over “very quickly,” adding that Iran’s leaders were “begging for a deal” to avoid further military action. He warned, however, that if no agreement is reached, the United States was prepared to launch another attack within days.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance said both sides had made “a lot of progress” and expressed confidence that Iran was serious about reaching an agreement.
Vance said he had just spoken to Trump, who reiterated that the central U.S. objective remained unchanged: Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.
“If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, countries throughout the Gulf will seek their own, and then countries across the world would follow,” Vance said. “We want to keep the number of countries that have nuclear weapons small, and that’s why Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained committed to diplomacy but would not negotiate from a position of weakness.
“Negotiations do not mean surrender,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X, stressing that Iran was engaging in talks while preserving the rights and dignity of the Iranian people.
“We will continue to serve the people and protect Iran’s interests and dignity with logic and with all strength, to the last breath,” he said.
Pezeshkian’s comments underscore Tehran’s long-standing position that while it is open to dialogue, it will not compromise on what it considers its legitimate national rights.
In comments on Tuesday, Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia highlighted Iranian Army’s preparedness, saying the Army forces have treated the ceasefire period as a time of war and used the opportunity to strengthen their combat capabilities, said a Tasnim news agency report.
Addressing Iran’s enemies, the spokesman stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be besieged or defeated.
He warned that if the enemy acts foolishly again, falls once more into the Zionists’ trap, and wages another act of aggression against Iran, the country would open new fronts against them through new tools and methods.
The general highlighted the Iranian Armed Forces’ control over the Strait of Hormuz and said the situation in the strategic waterway could not return to its previous state.
