President Donald Trump said Iran contacted his administration to negotiate a deal after the U.S. launched airstrikes against the country [1].
This development marks a critical shift in diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran. The prospect of a settlement could prevent further military escalation in a volatile region where the risk of open conflict remains high.
U.S. and Israeli forces carried out the airstrikes on Feb. 28, 2026 [1]. Following these actions, Trump said that Iranian officials expressed a strong desire to reach an agreement to avoid more strikes.
"They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly — I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal," Trump said [3].
Despite the outreach, the president voiced significant skepticism regarding the reliability of the Iranian government. He said he was not satisfied and questioned whether the nation would honor the terms of any potential agreement [1, 3].
Trump also indicated that a strike planned for Tuesday, March 5, 2026, was called off [2]. There are differing accounts regarding why the operation was halted. One report stated that Trump called off the strike at the request of Gulf allies while negotiations were underway [2]. Another report suggested that the direct call from Iran was the primary reason for the pause [1].
"There seems to be a very good chance we can get a settlement, so I'm holding off on the strike," Trump said [2].
The president's comments come as the administration weighs the effectiveness of military pressure versus diplomatic engagement. The current standoff centers on whether Iran can be trusted to adhere to a new framework for peace.
“"They want to make a deal so badly — I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal."”
The administration is utilizing a 'maximum pressure' strategy, combining direct military action with diplomatic openings to force concessions from Tehran. By publicly questioning Iran's trustworthiness while simultaneously halting planned strikes, the U.S. is attempting to maintain leverage in negotiations to ensure any resulting deal is more stringent than previous agreements.
