President Trump says Iran wants deal ‘so badly’ but leaders are afraid of being killed

U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his claim that Iranian leaders are negotiating with his administration, despite public denials, saying the leaders are afraid of being killed. 

Speaking at a Republican fundraising event Wednesday evening, President Trump affirmed that Iran is negotiating.  

“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 claimed. “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.” 

NOW - Trump on Iran: "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." pic.twitter.com/Bvb6AGvT1I

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 25, 2026

Iranian leaders have denied Trump’s claims, saying there are no negotiations. 

“Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious, and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory,” an Iranian military spokesman told Iranian state television on Wednesday. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also denied that negotiations are taking place, but admitted to an exchange of messages. 

“At present, our policy is to continue resistance, and no negotiations have taken place,” Araghchi said in a state television interview on Wednesday. 

“Many foreign ministers from the region have contacted Tehran, but Iran’s position has remained principled and firm,” he added. 

"Messages being conveyed through our friendly countries and us responding by stating our positions or issuing the necessary warnings is not called negotiation or dialogue,” Araghchi said. 

Reports on Wednesday said that Iran submitted a counter proposal to Trump's 15-point plan. The Iranian proposal called for an immediate end to the war, payment of reparations by the U.S. and Israel, an end to Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah, and Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. 

While President Trump has not identified who the U.S. is negotiating with in Iran, there are some clues. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. and Israel have temporarily removed Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from their target list as President Trump pushes to bring the war to a close. 

According to the Journal, the two leaders have been removed from the target list for up to four or five days, as the U.S. pushes for high-level talks aimed at ending the war. 

Both Israel and the U.S. have killed a significant number of high-level leaders in the Iranian regime, primarily focusing on commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and those in the immediate circle of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

While analysts believe Israel's Air Force has conducted most of the targeted killings, following a strategy similar to the one it has used against Hamas and Hezbollah, President Trump has referred to the eliminations as a joint effort. 

“We killed all their leadership, And then they met to choose new leaders, and we killed all of them,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “And now we have a new group, and we can easily do that, but let’s see how they turn out.” 

Several regional nations, including Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, are reportedly urging the Iranians to start negotiations, with Pakistan even offering to host talks. However, U.S. officials assess that the odds of Iran agreeing to American demands are low. 

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the clock is ticking for Iran to agree to negotiate, or Iran will be hit “harder than they have ever been hit before.” 

“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell,” she added. 

Leavitt also said that U.S. military operations are running ahead of schedule. 

She told reporters that the Pentagon “estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve this critical mission.” 

“Twenty-five days in, the greatest military the world has ever known is ahead of schedule and performing exceptionally,” she said. “We are very close to meeting the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury, and this military mission continues unabated.” 

Leavitt’s comments come as the U.S. is moving around 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division into the region, along with around 5,000 Marines trained in amphibious assaults. 

The paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to secure key territory and airfields, while the Marines are trained to conduct beach landings in contested areas.