Trump says Iranian negotiators want peace deal 'so badly,' but afraid to say it

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States President Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that Iran was taking part in peace talks, suggesting Tehran wants a deal “so badly” but is afraid to say so for fear its own side could kill negotiators.

“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” Trump told Republican members of Congress.

“They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” Trump added.

The US president’s remarks came hours after Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran “does not intend to negotiate.”

“We seek an end to the war on our own terms… in a way that it will not be repeated again,” Foreign Minister Araghchi told state TV, adding that Iran has no plans to negotiate a ceasefire with Washington.

“At present, our policy is the continuation of resistance," Araghchi said.

The Iranian foreign minister said the Islamic republic does not “intend to negotiate,” describing talks at this stage as “an admission of defeat.”

Now in its fourth week, Trump said Iran was being “decimated” in the war.

The US leader also slammed Democrats for trying to “deflect from all of the tremendous success that we’re having in this military operation.”

Earlier in the day, the White House threatened to “unleash hell” if Iran did not negotiate a peace deal.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said talks were ongoing and “productive,” adding there were “elements of truth” to reports of a US 15-point proposal conveyed to Tehran via Pakistan.

Iranian state media earlier cited an unidentified official saying Tehran had responded "negatively" to a reported 15-point plan from Washington.