Overview
- Reuters reported that Vice President JD Vance spoke with Pakistani intermediaries as part of backchannel efforts that run alongside roles for Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, with some reports saying Iran would rather deal with Vance.
- At a closed White House event, President Trump told guests he would blame Vance if no deal happens and take credit if it does, in an exchange briefly posted online and then deleted.
- In a televised address, Trump warned he would hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks if a deal does not come together quickly.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said receiving messages from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff does not amount to talks and insisted there is no negotiation under way.
- Oil prices jumped above $106 a barrel after the new threats, as U.S. intelligence assessments reported by the New York Times say Iran believes it holds the upper hand and is not ready for substantive talks.