Trump says U.S. only semi-negotiating with Iran

Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. is only “semi-negotiating” with Iran, as the two countries remain deadlocked over a proposed ceasefire in the Persian Gulf. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran insisted in a televised address that Tehran is not talking to Washington and accused the U.S. of escalating military threats. The friction comes on the 30th day of what regional analysts are calling “Phase II” of the undeclared war between Iran and Israel, a shadow conflict that has drawn in U.S. forces.

The standoff is the latest eruption in a cycle that began after Israel’s October 7 attacks on Hamas in Gaza. Iran-backed militias in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria have launched rockets and drones at Israeli and U.S. targets, while Israel has carried out airstrikes on Iranian military sites in Syria and beyond. The U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region, raising the risk of a direct clash. Trump, who is running for re-election, has alternated between tough talk and calls for diplomacy, but his latest comment suggests he sees talks as a way to buy time rather than resolve the crisis.

Araghchi said Iran will only engage with “neutral mediators,” not Washington. Meanwhile, Israel formally rejected a U.S.-brokered plan to halt fighting in Gaza, demanding the release of all hostages and the dismantling of Hamas. The plan, leaked to Al Jazeera, would have provided a 60-day ceasefire and a pathway to a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a non-starter.” The rejection underscores the widening gap between the U.S. and its closest ally in the Middle East.

With no clear off-ramp, the risk of miscalculation is rising. Regional militaries are on high alert, and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is slowing. Analysts warn that a single misfired missile or misinterpreted radar blip could spiral into a wider war. Trump’s “semi-negotiating” stance suggests he is trying to manage the crisis without conceding to Iran, while also avoiding a costly escalation before the November election. For now, the world is watching a dangerous stalemate that no one seems willing—or able—to break.