US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that negotiations with Iranian representatives “started off weak” but became “very friendly” towards the end, even as Iran refused to give up what he called as its “nuclear ambitions”.
“We had a very intensive Negotiation, and toward the end it got very friendly, and we got just about every point we needed, except for the fact that they refused to give up their nuclear ambition. And that’s the only point, frankly, to me, that was the most important point by far,” Trump told Fox News in an interview.
President Trump on Iran: 🇺🇸🇮🇷 We had a very intensive Negotiation, and toward the end it got VERY FRIENDLY, and we got just about every point we needed, except for the fact that they refused to give up their
nuclear ambition.
And that’s the only point, frankly, to me, that was… pic.twitter.com/KS1ESOk1Ng
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 12, 2026
Shortly after the interview, Trump posted further comments on Truth Social, saying Iran remained “unyielding” on its nuclear programme despite some progress in wider discussions held in Pakistan. He said the talks lasted nearly 20 hours, describing them as intense but ultimately blocked by what he called Iran’s refusal to compromise on nuclear issues.
In his post, Trump said, “There is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!”
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The US President further stated that while some points were agreed, they were not enough compared to the nuclear issue, which he called the decisive factor. He also said US representatives became “very friendly and respectful” with Iranian officials but stressed that Iran remained firm on the core dispute.
“My three Representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding,” he wrote.
US President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) on Truth Social posts, “Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and Countries throughout the World. They say they put mines in the water,… pic.twitter.com/VKWE4LQcvX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 12, 2026
The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, along with chief negotiators Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The talks were the highest-level US–Iran engagement since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and were aimed at easing tensions linked to the Middle East conflict. Pakistan hosted the negotiations and acted as mediator, urging both sides to continue dialogue despite the failure to reach a deal.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation alongside Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said the US failed to build trust despite Iran offering “forward-looking initiatives”.
“The U.S. has understood Iran’s logic and principles and it’s time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not,” Qalibaf wrote on X following the talks.
(With inputs from agencies)
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