U.S. sent Iran a message via mediators as Trump says deal is possible: Iranian official
Iran has received a message from the U.S. through mediators as a potential precursor to talks between the two warring countries, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official told CBS News, after President Trump suggested a deal is possible.
The Iranian official said "we received points from the U.S. through mediators and they are being reviewed."
Earlier Monday, Mr. Trump announced on social media that the U.S. and Iran had "very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities" in recent days. He later told reporters the two sides had about 15 points of agreement and Iranian officials had expressed that "they want peace," predicting: "I think there's a very good chance we're going to end up in a deal."
The president also backed off an ultimatum issued over the weekend for Iran to either reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil industry chokepoint — or face strikes on its power plants. He said the U.S. military would hold off on bombing Iran's energy infrastructure for five days, "subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions."
Iran's Foreign Ministry initially denied that talks were taking place. But Mr. Trump's comments buoyed hopes that the 23-day-long conflict could be nearing a resolution. The international oil price benchmark, Brent Crude, plunged 10% on the news Monday, and the S&P 500 rallied 1.15%.
Iran and the U.S. do not have formal diplomatic relations and have historically communicated with each other indirectly, with other countries in the region serving as mediators. Pakistan has sought to position itself as a potential mediator, CBS News reported earlier Monday . Oman has also frequently served as a mediator between the two countries, most recently brokering several rounds of nuclear talks earlier this year.