Trump says backchannel with Iran's IRGC continues as ceasefire deadline ends
President Donald Trump confirmed a direct communication channel with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for peace talks, reiterating his goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the 60-day cease-fire expires.
President Donald Trump told Fox News that a backchannel for negotiations with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains active, even as the 60-day cease-fire deadline expires on Monday. He emphasized that the United States' primary objective is to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
"The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon," Trump wrote on his social-media platform.
Trump said the United States is communicating directly with IRGC officials, bypassing traditional mediators and Iranian political figures. He declined to set a timetable for the talks, stating he is not in a hurry.
When asked about the role of Oman in the negotiations, Trump warned that interference could lead to a military response. He also said he would stay out of Israel's upcoming elections but might endorse a candidate, and suggested that the United States could work toward a peace arrangement that includes Hamas disarmament.
The president downplayed the amount of U.S. weaponry used in the region, describing it as a small portion of the overall arsenal.