Senior Iranian officials have told countries mediating between Tehran and Washington that they fear President Donald Trump may again be using talk of ending the war as a ruse, Axios reported early Wednesday, as the White House presses for direct talks while also reinforcing U.S. forces in the region.
According to the report, the Iranian officials told Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey they “don't want to be fooled again,” citing U.S. military moves in the region — including the reported deployment of additional airborne troops — as deepening their suspicion that diplomacy could be cover for further military action. U.S. officials have said the buildup is meant to sustain pressure on Iran, not deceive it.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, US President Donald Trump
(Photo: AFP/UGC/UNKNOWN, REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak/Stringer)
Axios said the United States is pushing for direct talks in Pakistan as soon as Thursday, but Iranian mistrust is also rooted in earlier rounds of diplomacy that were followed by military escalation. The report said Iranian officials view those episodes as evidence that negotiations may be used to buy time or shape the battlefield rather than produce a settlement.
The White House, for its part, has sought to convince Iran that Trump is serious about negotiations. Trump said Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Trump himself were all involved in the effort. Trump said Iran had given the United States a major “gift” related to oil, gas and the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a sign Washington was “dealing with the right people.”
Still, Axios reported that Iranian officials have ruled out talks with Witkoff and Kushner, accusing them of having “stabbed them in the back,” but are more open to dealing with Vance, who they see as less hawkish. According to the report, Witkoff himself recommended Vance as the U.S. representative because of his rank and because Iranian officials do not view him as a hard-liner on national security issues.
A Gulf source quoted by Axios said Vance was Tehran’s preferred interlocutor and that Iranian officials did not want to work with Kushner or Witkoff. Trump, speaking at the White House on Tuesday, said all of them were involved in the contacts.
Despite Trump’s optimistic public comments, U.S. military planning has continued. The Pentagon is weighing sending additional troops, while elements of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force could be deployed to the region, with some reports suggesting they could be used in contingencies involving Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub.
Axios also reported that U.S. and Israeli officials believe that even if talks with Iran take place, the fighting could continue for another two to three weeks. The outlet said Trump has instructed War Secretary Pete Hegseth to keep up military pressure on Iran. Hegseth later underscored that posture, saying the United States would “negotiate with bombs.”