Washington, March 30 — President Donald Trump said indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, conducted through Pakistani intermediaries, are showing “positive progress,” the Financial Times reported. He said talks are continuing via Pakistani “emissaries” but declined to give detailed timelines or say whether a ceasefire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached quickly.
Trump reiterated heavy military pressure, saying, “We’ve got about 3,000 targets left — we’ve bombed 13,000 targets — and another couple of thousand targets to go,” and added that “a deal could be made fairly quickly.” He also referred to Iran allowing a growing number of Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, calling the shipments a “present” and later saying he viewed the passage of 20 tankers as a “sign of respect.” Trump said the negotiations were “very good” and that the talks included both direct and indirect channels. Aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, he expressed optimism that a deal with Iran “could be soon.”
Separately, Iran’s acting defence minister, Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Ibn Reza, spoke by phone with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler amid the broader West Asia tensions involving the United States and Israel, Iranian state media Press TV reported. In that call, General Reza strongly condemned what he described as “brutal military aggression” against Iran, calling it a violation of international law and basic principles of the global order.
The comments come as Washington emphasizes both diplomatic backchannels and continued military operations. Officials have not provided independent confirmation of the figures Trump cited or of the precise content of the backchannel discussions, and international reporting on the negotiations is ongoing.
