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3. Trump Confirms Speaking to Iran, Says He Plans to Again

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that he intends to hold talks with Iran. When asked by reporters about the possibility of talks with Tehran, Trump said, "Yes. I intend that. We have a lot of very large and powerful ships heading to Iran right now, and it would be great not to have to use them.”

Asked if he’s any conversations with Iran in the last few days or if he’s planning to, Trump responded, “I have had and I am planning on it.”

The remarks came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is prepared to use "all options" to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, while emphasizing that Washington is still leaving room for a diplomatic deal.

"With Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal. They should not pursue nuclear capabilities," Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting along with President Trump.

Hegseth stressed that the Pentagon stands ready to carry out any directives issued by Trump, signaling that military options remain firmly on the table if diplomacy fails. "We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department, just like we did this month," he said, referring to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. 

An American missile destroyer docked at Israel’s Red Sea port city of Eilat on Friday. According to the Israeli military, the arrival of USS Delbert D. Black was pre-planned and part of the ongoing cooperation between the IDF and the U.S. military. American warships regularly sail in the Red Sea area, although their arrival at Eilat Port is rare.

Iran Responds

In Iran, top political, military and judicial authorities continue to send messages of defiance, indicating that Iran’s focus is on defence and not talks. “Tehran’s priority is currently not to negotiate with the U.S., but to have 200 percent readiness to defend our country,” Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team, was quoted as saying by state media.

Gharibabadi said that messages have recently been exchanged with the U.S. through intermediaries. He added that even if conditions were suitable for talks, Iran would remain fully prepared to defend itself.