Trump: US no longer negotiating with Iran, ‘something will happen one way or another’

President Donald Trump signals Iran showdown could come soon after stating that the US is no longer negotiating with the Islamic Republic.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is no longer actively negotiating with Iran and suggested that a decisive development in the conflict could come shortly, potentially after the November 3 midterm elections, as reports emerged of American and Israeli preparations for renewed military strikes against Tehran.

Asked whether negotiations with Iran were continuing, Trump initially replied, “A little bit, but we’ll see what happens.”

However, when pressed on whether he had finished negotiating with Tehran, the president appeared to take a firmer position.

“No, I think we’re not negotiating,” Trump said. “We are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon.”

“Most people seem to think it’s after the election, and we’re going to see what happens,” he added.

Trump also maintained that the United States was “doing very well militarily and financially against Iran,” reiterating his assessment that Tehran was under considerable American pressure.

Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina earlier Wednesday, Trump suggested that Washington could end the conflict immediately but wanted to secure a lasting outcome.

“It’ll end very soon. We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” he said.

The remarks came as a separate report, citing American officials and others familiar with military planning, indicated that the US and Israel had developed options for a new round of strikes against Iran following the midterm elections.

According to the report, the two countries have increased military preparations, including exercises involving flights over Iraq designed to simulate possible attacks on Iranian targets.

The proposed operation would reportedly be relatively brief but intensive, potentially targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone capabilities, and energy infrastructure.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel earlier this week, amid discussions of possible further military action.

However, no decision to resume large-scale attacks has been announced, and Trump has reportedly rejected several military proposals in recent months. A White House official declined to discuss operational plans “that may or may not exist.”

Earlier this month, Trump explicitly ruled out attacking Iran before the November 3 elections, saying Washington was engaged in productive discussions with Tehran.

The latest developments follow nearly eight months of conflict that began with joint American and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. Iranian retaliatory attacks and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have contributed to a prolonged regional confrontation.

Diplomatic attempts to end the conflict have repeatedly stalled over disagreements involving Iran’s nuclear program, American sanctions and control of maritime traffic through the strait.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted this week that Washington must end its threats, sanctions and economic pressure before meaningful negotiations can resume.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to present Tehran as open to negotiations while warning that the country remained prepared for further hostilities.

“While Iran is firmly committed to seeking a dignified peaceful resolution to the conflict, we are also fully prepared to defend ourselves,” Araghchi wrote in an article published Wednesday.