Islam Times – US President Donald Trump has reportedly opted to pursue further negotiations with Iran after intense internal debates in the White House over whether to increase pressure on Tehran or maintain diplomatic engagement.According to “‘Israel’ Hayom”, the dispute involved Vice President JD Vance, senior officials, and Trump over the US approach to Iran following months of aggression and regional instability.
The report claimed that US officials advocating a harder line argued that Iran would not make concessions without increased military and economic pressure, including the threat of direct attacks and harsher sanctions.
Vance, however, reportedly argued that Tehran’s latest proposal demonstrated enough flexibility to justify continued negotiations and potentially move toward a broader agreement capable of ending tensions.
According to the report, Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, supported Vance’s position during the discussions.
It added that talks had also taken place prior to the meeting with Gulf states, including Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, which were said to oppose renewed military escalation against Iran due to fears of broader regional instability and economic fallout.
Trump reportedly criticized officials backing diplomacy, claiming they let Iran gain time and weaken the US, while Vice President Vance argued the focus should be on ending foreign military entanglements, lowering oil prices, and addressing domestic economic issues.
US media, contradictory to what the “Israeli” report is saying, claimed that Trump would rather move towards a diplomatic end instead of reigniting the war on Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported that in a phone call, “Israeli” PM Netanyahu urged Trump to resume attacks on Iran, warning it would not honor ceasefire terms, while Trump defended pursuing talks but said strikes could resume if Tehran remained uncooperative.
The US President told reporters on Wednesday that the call went well and that Netanyahu would “do whatever I want him to do,” stating later that a decision regarding Iran is “right on the borderline.”
“We have to get the right answers—it would have to be a complete 100% good answers,” Trump said of Iran’s response.
“Hayom” reported divisions among US regional allies over Iran; UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and Netanyahu favored a hard-line approach with protection for strategic infrastructure, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad preferred avoiding open confrontation, maintaining channels with Tehran to ease regional tensions.