Trump news at a glance: president hints at second round of talks with Iran as temporary ceasefire ticks down

Trump Iran talks hint emerges as 3-day ceasefire nears expiry

Donald Trump signaled potential new negotiations with Tehran during a Monday press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort, hours before a 72-hour temporary truce between Israel and Iran is scheduled to expire.

The US President said fresh diplomatic channels could open after US mediators delivered indirect messages to Iranian authorities, though neither side released details of possible terms. The four-month shadow war that began with Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities has killed more than 1,400 people, according to UN monitors.

Trump’s olive branch arrives as European capitals fear a resumption of full-scale hostilities. Both Israel and Iran have mobilized additional missile batteries along their borders since the ceasefire took hold Friday. Oil markets jumped 3.7% on the early Monday speculation, undoing the previous session’s losses tied to winter demand forecasts.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told broadcaster Kan the military remains “ready for all scenarios,” following the Sunday night interception of another Iranian drone over Tel Aviv. Nobody died, though falling shrapnel injured 7 civilians.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio flew to Amman on Sunday to keep the truce conversation alive. Rubio met Jordan’s King Abdullah II for 90 minutes then briefed reporters that Washington still prefers diplomacy. “The temporary halt proves both governments can comply when they see a shared interest,” Rubio said, adding Washington will not “micromanage Israeli retaliation.”

Energy traders seized on Trump’s comments as a signal that Russian and Iraqi oil flows might avoid Persian Gulf interdiction. Brent crude futures pulled back to $87.90 a barrel after touching $91 during Asian hours. Goldman Sachs commodity strategists told clients they keep a “bearish tactical view” as long as tanker tracking shows no evidence of Iranian naval mining near the Strait of Hormuz.

Background

Israel’s air campaign against Iran began after the October 2025 explosion that crippled the Dimona reactor. Israeli officials blamed Tehran without presenting public evidence. Iran responded with rocket fire at several Israeli military bases, flaring into a cycle of nightly bombardments. The region last saw sustained open conflict between the two foes during the 2006 Lebanon war.

Trump won a second term partly by pledging to avoid new Middle-Eastern ground wars. Yet his administration has shipped 2,100 additional Marines to Kuwait and quietly approved emergency sales of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Past events suggest caution on any prospective deal, as last year’s Oman-mediated talks collapsed after Israel refused to discuss its undeclared nuclear arsenal.

What’s Next

The stand-down period expires at 06:00 local time on Tuesday, opening the possibility of renewed missile exchanges within 15 minutes past the deadline. Israeli television Channel 12 reported the government will decide overnight whether to extend the calm, conditioned on Iran freezing drone shipments to Hezbollah. Expect multiple phone calls from Washington before sunrise.

Any diplomatic breakthrough would shift attention to Capitol Hill, where Republican hawks have prepared legislation tightening unilateral sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Energy analysts say Iran pumps roughly 3.3 million barrels a day, giving the country’s economy limited breathing room as inflation tears past 47%.