Trump team proposes Iran talks this week on nuclear deal, ceasefire

Why it matters: The meeting hasn't been finalized yet, but it is part of a last-ditch effort by President Trump to swerve away from war and back toward dealmaking.

• "A meeting with the Iranians this week is under consideration," a U.S. official confirmed.
• The meeting could be a make-or-break moment for the question of whether the U.S. will join the war in order to eliminate Iran's nuclear program militarily.

The latest: Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday morning that he may send Witkoff and Vice President Vance to meet the Iranians but stressed it depends what happens when he gets back to Washington.

• Trump stressed he is "not too much in the mood to negotiate" with Iran and is not looking for a ceasefire. "We're looking at better than a ceasefire...an end, a real end, not a ceasefire, a real end."
• He later explained that he is looking for as a "complete give-up" by Iran.
• Trump warned Iran against targeting U.S. forces and interests in the region. "We will come down so hard if they do anything to our people, it'd be gloves off. ... I think they know not to touch our troops," he said.

Zoom in: Trump sees the massive bunker busters needed to destroy Iran's underground enrichment facility at Fordow — which the U.S. has and Israel does not — as a key point of leverage to get Iran to cut a deal, a senior U.S. official said.

• Describing the decision on bunker busters as an "inflection point," the official said Trump "thinks in terms of deals and leverage. And this is leverage."
• "They do want to talk," the senior official continued. "But what we don't know is, 'have they been brought to their knees fully so that they realize that in order to have a country, they have to talk?' And assuming they get there, is there any degree of enrichment you would allow them to have?"

State of play: Trump has so far declined to directly participate in Israel's attacks on Iran, but he has made clear that Iran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon one way or another.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing him to join the war and bomb Fordow.
• Trump has continued to insist he believes he can make a deal, particularly given Iran's weak negotiating position.

Driving the news: Trump shocked the Middle East with a Truth Social post on Monday night in which he called on Iranian civilians to evacuate Tehran immediately.

• Shortly thereafter, Trump dcut short his trip to the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington and focus on the war.
• These two moves, together with reports of explosions in Tehran, led to reports in the Israelis press and on social media that the U.S. had joined the war.
• White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer denied the reports. "American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests," he wrote on X.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated that message in an interview on Fox News and stressed Trump is still seeking a deal. "President Trump hopes there will be peace," he said.

Behind the scenes: The Trump administration discussed the meeting proposal with Iran on Monday, the sources said.

• "We are talking on the phone but it is better to talk in person," Trump said at the G7.
• Trump expressed hope that Iran would agree to make a deal. "I think a deal will be signed. I think Iran is foolish not to sign one," he said.
• During the summit, Trump discussed with other leaders the need for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, French President Macron told reporters. "The Americans have made an offer to meet with the Iranians. We will see what happens," he said.

This story was updated with Trump's comments on Tuesday.