U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran can contact the United States directly if it wishes to negotiate an end to the conflict between the two countries, now in its second month.
Speaking on Fox News, Donald Trump said on Sunday (26 April) Tehran was aware of the conditions required for any agreement. He repeated that Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon, describing this as a simple and non-negotiable point.
"If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines," Trump told 'The Sunday Briefing' on Fox News.
His remarks came after Iran called on Washington to remove barriers to talks, including a naval blockade affecting its ports.
Diplomatic efforts appeared to falter over the weekend. A planned visit to Islamabad by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was cancelled.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled between Pakistan and Oman for discussions with mediators before heading to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin.
During his visit to Oman, Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said. Iranian media reported discussions focused on maritime security and the possibility of a regional framework without external involvement.
Araghchi later said talks included ways to ensure safe transit for neighbouring countries and the wider world.
Further discussions in Pakistan covered proposals for a new legal framework governing the strait, compensation measures, and assurances against future military action. Iran has also called for the lifting of sanctions and the end of the naval blockade.
Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said Araghchi’s visit to St Petersburg forms part of ongoing diplomatic efforts in response to external pressures.
"Iran and Russia are present in a united front in the campaign of the world's totalitarian forces against independent and justice-seeking countries, as well as countries that seek a world free from unilateralism and Western domination," Jalali added.
Financial markets reacted to the uncertainty. Oil prices rose, the U.S. dollar strengthened slightly, and stock futures dipped during early trading in Asia. The disruption has been linked to continued restrictions on shipping routes in the Gulf.
According to reports from Axios, Iran had put forward a new proposal through Pakistani intermediaries. The plan reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending hostilities, while postponing discussions on nuclear issues. U.S. officials have not publicly commented on the report.
The conflict began on 28 February with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Although a ceasefire has reduced large-scale fighting, no agreement has been reached to formally end the war. Thousands have been killed, and the economic impact has been felt globally through rising energy costs and inflation.
The United States and Iran remain divided on several issues beyond nuclear activity.
Washington is seeking limits on Iran’s regional influence, including support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, as well as restrictions on its missile capabilities. Iran, in turn, is calling for sanctions relief and an end to Israeli military actions against its allies.
Trump said the decision to cancel the Islamabad visit was based on concerns about travel costs and what he viewed as an insufficient proposal from Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran will not engage in negotiations under pressure. In a call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said the United States must first remove obstacles before meaningful talks can begin.
The wider region remains unstable. Iran previoulsy launched strikes against Gulf neighbours, while hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified in Lebanon.
On Sunday, Israeli strikes reportedly killed 14 people and injured dozens more, according to local health authorities.
Trump is facing growing domestic pressure to bring the conflict to a close, with approval ratings reportedly declining. Iran, despite military setbacks, retains influence through its ability to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.
Tehran has largely restricted passage through the strait, while Washington continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
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Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Saudi Arabia is now facing pressure from both ends of the Arabian Peninsula. While the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting Gulf shipping and energy flows, fighting has intensified in western Yemen, bringing the Houthis back into direct confrontation with the kingdom.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become targets in a further escalation of the conflict.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
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