- By Priyanka Koul
- Sat, 23 May 2026 10:46 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Middle East crisis continues to intensify as negotiations between the United States and Iran remain stalled without any major breakthrough. In a fresh development, US President Donald Trump on Friday held a high-level meeting with his senior national security team amid mounting speculation that Washington could once again consider military action against Tehran.
Trump is "seriously considering" launching fresh strikes against Iran if ongoing last-minute negotiations fail to result in a peace agreement, US media outlet Axios reported on Friday.
According to the report, Trump met senior national security officials earlier in the day to discuss the situation involving Iran, while Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as part of an urgent diplomatic push. A delegation from Qatar also joined the talks in what was seen as a final effort to secure a deal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s defence minister, Asim Munir, is scheduled to meet on Saturday with Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a key figure in the country’s strategic decision-making.
Axios reported that a US official familiar with the diplomatic efforts described the negotiations as "agonising", with draft proposals "going back and forth every day" but little progress being made.
"Iran is dying to make a deal. We'll see what happens. But we hit them hard, and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it," Trump said during an event at the White House on Friday.
Trump Leaning Towards Military Option?
According to Axios report, Trump had earlier informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wanted to allow more time for diplomacy. However, sources familiar with the discussions told the publication that by Thursday night, Trump appeared to be moving closer towards supporting military action.
Two sources reportedly told Axios that Trump’s stance has shifted in recent days from cautious diplomacy to visible frustration over Iran’s approach in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that discussions were still ongoing but suggested that a final agreement remained out of reach.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the IRGC, quoted a source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying talks on contentious issues were continuing and that “no final result" had been reached so far.
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Separately, CNN reported citing multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments, that Iran has already restarted parts of its drone-production network within weeks of the ceasefire that ended three months of direct hostilities involving the US and Israel.