Total surrender? Iranian delegation reportedly in Oman – but regime says it ‘won’t grovel at White House gates’

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that the Iranian regime has offered to send representatives to the White House but appeared to dismiss the chances for negotiations.

“It’s very late for talking,” he told reporters, repeating his demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

“Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff [in Iran],” he said.

However, the Iranian UN mission responded with a harsh statement denying any offer to negotiate: “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader.”

In a Truth Social post the day before, Trump said that the U.S. knows where “the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” adding, “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

“Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance,” the Iranian response continued.

“Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures.”

Nevertheless, Reuters reported on Wednesday evening that an Iranian delegation and three Iranian planes had landed in Oman to start negotiations to stop the Israeli strikes.

Flight tracking sites showed that the presidential plane was among them.

According to i24 News, Iran conveyed a message to Oman and Qatar, saying the regime was ready for talks but Israel needs to “calm down the situation.”

In addition, China reportedly told Oman that it “cannot stand by and let the situation between Israel and Iran escalate.”

While Trump has signaled and reiterated several times that his patience for negotiations has run out, the Iranian regime has sent contradictory messages.

In a rare speech since the war began, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to reports that the U.S. could be about to join the war on Israel’s side by warning that this would have “serious irreparable consequences.”

“This nation will never surrender to imposition from anyone,” Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on state television. “America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.”

In comments to reporters on Wednesday, Trump stated he is not “looking for long-term war,” but reiterated: “I only want one thing: Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Asked whether he would order the U.S. military to strike Iran, he said cryptically, “I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Meanwhile, the UK – the U.S.’s closest military ally – is reportedly weighing its response, and possibly whether to join the military action, according to The Telegraph.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to convene the national emergencies committee, known as COBRA, to “bring together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response to the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East,” according to the Guardian.

Deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, said in parliament that “we agree with President Trump that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, but we’ve been consistent in urging Iran to engage in the diplomatic process and work with the United States, and we continue to support that diplomatic approach.”

The U.S. and Britain share the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. has stationed B-2 Spirit stealth bombers capable of delivering “bunker-buster” bombs, which could be used to crack open the underground Fordow nuclear site.