President Donald Trump rejected statements from Iran’s Foreign Ministry denying that recent negotiations had taken place, insisting that discussions between the two sides had been meaningful and criticizing Tehran’s messaging as ineffective.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the United States had engaged in significant diplomatic talks with Iran in recent days aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict, and he expressed confidence about the direction of those discussions.

“We have had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement,” Trump told Fox News, saying that the talks were conducted by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “They went, I would say, perfectly. I would say that if they carry through with that, it’ll end that problem, that conflict.”

.@POTUS on Iran: "We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement… They went, I would say perfectly. I would say that if they carry through with that, it'll end that problem, that conflict." https://t.co/PZtpN5T0jG pic.twitter.com/k9NjYAbvnH

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2026

He continued by indicating that the U.S. was dealing with a key figure in Iran’s leadership, while suggesting that prior military actions had reshaped the situation. “We’re dealing with the man who, I believe, is the most respected and the ‘leader.’ It’s a little tough – we’ve wiped out everybody.”

When pressed on whether he was referring to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Motjaba Khamenei, Trump answered directly: “No.”

Trump added that a successful outcome in the negotiations could bring a swift conclusion to the war, while warning that failure would lead to continued military action. “Otherwise, we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out.”

Earlier in the day, Trump published a statement on Truth Social describing what he characterized as positive and ongoing diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.

“I AM PLEASE TO REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN, HAVE HAD, OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”

“BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WITCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”

The statement signaled a shift from Trump’s earlier warning issued on Shabbos, in which he had given Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

{Matzav.com}