Trump 'seriously considering' fresh strikes on Iran as 'agonising' peace talks continue

US president Donald Trump is "seriously considering" launching fresh strikes against Iran unless last-minute negotiations produce a breakthrough, according to sources cited by Axios.The sources noted that Trump convened a meeting with his senior national security team on Friday morning to discuss the war with Iran, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation. According to the sources, those present at the meeting alongside Trump included vice president JD Vance, defence secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA director John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other senior officials.During the meeting, President Donald Trump was briefed on the status of negotiations with Iran and possible scenarios in the event that talks collapse.A source close to the US president and another person familiar with the matter told Axios that Trump had become increasingly frustrated with the pace of negotiations with Iran in recent days.A US official briefed on the diplomatic efforts described the talks as “agonizing”, saying draft proposals were “going back and forth every day” with little meaningful progress.Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, quoted a source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying on Friday that “talks over disputed issues are still ongoing and no final result has yet been achieved.”The source added that the current priority was “ending the war,” and said no other matters would be negotiated until that objective had been achieved.Weeks of negotiations, including face-to-face talks hosted by Islamabad, have yet to produce a permanent resolution or restore full access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for global oil supplies.US officials have repeatedly warned of possible renewed action against Iran if no agreement is reached. Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Saturday there was a possibility that Iran could agree to a deal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East within days.“There is a chance that, whether it's later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi, adding that he hoped for “good news”.Meanwhile, Iran said on Saturday that it had included ending the weeks-long US naval blockade and arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz in a draft framework for a potential agreement with the United States.“The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects addressed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding but more importantly, ending the piracy carried out by the United States against international navigation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqhei said.Iranian state media also said Tehran sees growing convergence in its negotiations with the United States, while noting that significant differences remain unresolved. It added that Iran’s nuclear programme is not included in the initial framework currently being discussed between the two sides.