Trump may decide on renewed Iran war within 24 hours — Axios
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said he will discuss the latest Iranian proposal with his negotiators today and is likely to make a decision by tomorrow on whether to resume the war, according to Axios.
Trump states that on May 23, he will meet with his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss Iran's latest actions. US Vice President JD Vance is also expected to join the meeting.
He said it was a "solid 50/50" as to whether he would be able to make a "good" deal or else "blow them (Iran – ed.) to kingdom come."
"I think one of two things will happen: either I hit them harder than they have ever been hit, or we are going to sign a deal that is good," the US president said.
The new draft Trump intends to review on May 23 emerged from Iran–Pakistan talks.
Axios sources also reported that the US president will hold talks today with leaders of Gulf countries to discuss the situation with Iran. Leaders from Egypt, Jordan, and Türkiye are expected to participate.
Based on Trump's comments, he is likely to decide by Sunday whether to resume the war.
Other essential things to know
On May 23, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran and the United States are in the final stage of negotiations on a memorandum of understanding to end the war.
According to him, the document will include, among other things, the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the US blockade, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
He added that a 30–60-day period would then follow for negotiations on a detailed final agreement.
Trump, meanwhile, told Axios he would only agree to a deal that includes issues such as uranium enrichment and the fate of Iran's existing stockpiles.
However, these issues are unlikely to be fully resolved within the memorandum currently being discussed by the United States and Iran to end the war and begin deeper negotiations.
Baghaei also said today that the nuclear issue will be postponed and addressed during the later 30–60 day negotiation period, as the current memorandum is aimed at an immediate end to the war.
Axios notes that mediators such as Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have been working intensively over the past 24 hours to bridge the gaps between the sides.
US, Israel diverge on war against Iran
As previous reports stated, sources for The New York Times say the United States has effectively excluded Israel from talks with Iran, due to overly optimistic pre-war assessments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that did not materialize.
CNN also reported that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu recently diverged in their views on Iran during phone conversations, with the US president seeking a diplomatic deal while the Israeli prime minister is pushing for a resumption of military action.
