Iran Wants Ceasefire, Signals Flexibility in Nuclear Talks

June 16—President Donald Trump confirmed this morning that the U.S. has received an urgent request from Iran for an immediate ceasefire in its ongoing exchange of missile and air strikes with Israel. Iran is also seeking a return to U.S.-mediated negotiations for a new nuclear deal, in which it says it will be flexible in its terms.

Missed Opportunities and Military Escalation

“They’d like to talk, but they should have done that before I had 60 days, and they had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said, we don’t have a deal,” Trump said during his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta. Yesterday’s planned negotiations in Oman were canceled after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and missile sites, killing scientists and top military officials, demonstrating total air supremacy over Tehran. Iran responded with waves of missile attacks on Israel.

Trump did not state how he and other leaders would act on the request, but sources close to the White House believe Iran’s overture is genuine rather than a delay tactic. Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to these sources, has pushed Iran toward negotiations despite concerns about appearing to cave to Israeli military pressure. Putin had offered to mediate, but Trump reportedly prefers talks to proceed as before, led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Russia’s Role and Israel’s Pre-Emptive Strike

Putin and Russia would guarantee the final deal and potentially provide Iran with non-weapons-grade enriched uranium from a facility inside Iran. Resolving this issue—Iran’s sovereign right to enrich uranium—was expected to be a major focus in yesterday’s cancelled talks.

Sources indicate Israel acted on June 13 to prevent such an agreement by striking Iran preemptively. According to U.S. intelligence and military analysts, Iran sought an urgent ceasefire because it was clearly losing in the military exchange.

Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aggressive stance, Trump, while praising Israel's success, has refused requests to participate in Israel's military campaign to destroy Iran’s fortified underground nuclear facilities; the U.S. has assisted in shooting down Iranian missiles and drones. While Israel has yet to eliminate key sites, including Fordow, Trump has emphasized diplomacy as the best path forward.

"The diplomatic solution is the only way to get the job done of denying Iran the bomb," said one source. "Trump knows this. And he also knows that Bibi's agenda against Iran goes farther than the bomb program. Bibi is a messianic lunatic who wants to totally destroy Iran, Israel's biblical enemy. Bomb the most advanced scientifically and culturally non-Jewish nation in the region back to the Stone Age. Trump wants no part of that, so he will press the Israelis for the ceasefire at some point and work out a deal. Bibi is not going to like that."

G-7 Response and Media Narratives

The G-7 meeting will address Iran’s request. Britain and other leaders have drafted a statement urging de-escalation, affirming Israel’s right to self-defense, and rejecting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump has reportedly not signed off on the statement.

Meanwhile, sources claim the media is complicating diplomacy by portraying Iran’s outreach as surrender. One insider criticized NATO’s messaging, saying, “The NATO propaganda machine will never give any credit to the Trump-Putin diplomacy. They hate it because it works.”

Framework for a New Deal

Iran is willing to negotiate if a ceasefire is reached, an Iranian source told Reuters this morning. Gulf States—Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia—have urged Washington to press Israel for a ceasefire and to resume nuclear deal talks.

A senior regional expert has proposed a framework for a new deal, circulating as a viable path forward:

• Immediate cessation of hostilities within 24 hours.
• U.S.-Iran nuclear talks resume in Oman, facilitated by Omani mediators, proceeding uninterrupted until a deal is reached.
• The U.S. agrees to discuss a specific uranium enrichment program, supervised by Russia within Iran.
• A defined timeline for lifting U.S. sanctions, a key Iranian demand.
• Upon agreement, the U.S. must push for Israeli acceptance, ensuring all military actions against Iran permanently cease.