Trump says Iran can call to talk as Iranian Foreign Minister heads to Russia

Washington/Islamabad: President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two‑month war and stressed it can never have a nuclear weapon, after Tehran said the United States should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran’s ports.

Hopes of reviving peace efforts receded on Saturday when Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi shuttled between mediators Pakistan and Oman on Sunday before heading to Russia, where he is due to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Oil prices rose, the dollar inched higher and U.S. stock futures wobbled lower in early Asian trade on Monday after the peace talks stalled, leaving Gulf shipping blocked.

“If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines,” Trump told “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News.

“They know what has to be in the agreement. It’s very simple: They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Otherwise, there’s no reason to meet,” Trump said.

Axios reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed U.S. official and two sources with knowledge of the matter, that Iran gave the United States a new proposal through Pakistani mediators on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage. The U.S. State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

Iran has long demanded Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium, which Tehran says it seeks only for peaceful purposes, but Western powers say the programme is aimed at building nuclear weapons.

Although a ceasefire has paused full‑scale fighting in the conflict, which began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war.