WASHINGTON (The Thursday Times) — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US-Iran negotiations are “going very well” and suggested a deal could come as soon as this weekend, while cautioning it “might not happen.” Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said: “The negotiation itself has gone very well, actually, very well. Even if it happens, and it might not happen, but if it happens, it could happen like over the weekend.”
Breaking: Trump says Iran deal could come over the weekend
— The Thursday Times (@thursday_times) June 3, 2026
President Trump says negotiations with Iran are “going very well” and suggested a deal could come as soon as this weekend, while cautioning that it “might not happen.”
“If it happens, it could happen over the weekend.” pic.twitter.com/KaK5JggJvq
Trump also said the ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place despite recent strikes in the region, describing a “little glitch” that he said he “turned around”, a reference to Israel’s escalation in Lebanon earlier this week that caused Iran to briefly suspend negotiations. The Thursday Times reported on Trump’s expletive-laden call with Netanyahu over that escalation here.
VP JD Vance told reporters separately that the US was “not there yet” but “very close,” according to NBC News. Tasnim News Agency, which is close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that some changes have been made to the draft text of a possible deal. New US sanctions on Iran’s oil trade were announced overnight despite the ongoing negotiations, according to NBC News.
A regional source told CNN the talks are now back on track. Qatar worked with the US to push for de-escalation in southern Lebanon and help preserve the nominal ceasefire, according to a regional diplomat cited by CNN.
Pakistan has played a central role in the mediation throughout. Field Marshal Asim Munir flew to Tehran for overnight negotiations on 22 and 23 May, and Trump said on 27 May he gave Iran a chance because Pakistan asked him to, calling the Field Marshal and PM Shehbaz Sharif great. Pakistan was part of the team that drafted the revised peace memo alongside Qatar, with input from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, according to Axios. The EU formally commended Pakistan’s mediation role in a joint communiqué on 1 June. The Thursday Times will update this story as developments emerge.
