U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with his top national security and foreign policy advisors on Monday to determine the next steps in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The high-level meeting comes as diplomatic efforts appear to have reached a stalemate, with both Washington and Tehran trading blame for the lack of progress.
During a televised address from the White House, President Trump maintained a firm stance on the military campaign, asserting that the United States is “close to victory.” Despite a dip in approval ratings, the President vowed to continue “extremely hard” strikes against Iran for at least another two to three weeks, offering little indication of an immediate shift in strategy.
The diplomatic friction intensified on Monday as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed Washington for the collapse of talks held in Pakistan earlier this month.
Those discussions represented the first and only formal attempt at a resolution since the conflict began to destabilize the Middle East and impact the global economy. Reports from Axios and ABC News indicate that the administration is reviewing a new proposal from Tehran, which reportedly centers on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the current U.S. naval blockade, while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later date.
U.S. officials have stated that this proposal currently falls short of Washington’s established “red lines.” Hope for a breakthrough had initially surged following Minister Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad, but President Trump recently scrapped a planned follow-up trip by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Signaling a “ball is in their court” approach, Trump told Fox News that he would no longer be sending emissaries to initiate contact.
“If Iran wanted talks, they can come to us, or they can call us,” the President stated, underscoring the administration’s demand that Tehran take the first step toward a new round of negotiations