President Donald Trump said Sunday night that negotiations between the United States and Iran, being facilitated by Pakistan, are moving forward and could soon produce an agreement, as tensions in the region remain high.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump described the diplomatic track as advancing positively and indicated that a deal might be reached in short order.
He also noted a development in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran has increased the number of Pakistan-flagged oil tankers it is permitting to pass through the strategic waterway, doubling the total to 20.
Reporter: “Do you see a deal with Iran this coming week?”
Trump: “I do see a deal in Iran. Could be soon.” pic.twitter.com/5NSSLBCrg1
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 30, 2026
Trump further asserted that Iran’s leadership has effectively been replaced following the recent joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, which he said eliminated the prior regime figures.
When asked whether the United States is weighing a ground deployment, Trump said, “I just have lots of alternatives. We have tremendous numbers of ships over there. We don’t need them all because of, you know, the power.”
He added, “We’re ahead of schedule with Iran. We’re weeks ahead of schedule. If you would have said that in three days we were going to knock out 158 ships, their entire navy, which we did. We knocked out their entire air force. We knocked out most of their missiles.”
Addressing questions about Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named Supreme Leader after his father, Trump said his condition remains unclear. “He may be, but nobody’s heard about him. He may be alive, but he’s obviously very seriously in trouble. He’s seriously wounded.”
Last weekend, Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power infrastructure. That deadline has since been extended twice to allow time for continued negotiations, most recently on Thursday, when he granted Iran an additional ten days.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Friday that Washington is awaiting Iran’s response to a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the conflict, and expressed expectation that talks between the sides will take place this week.
