Day 86 of US-Israel war on Iran: Trump Says Iran Deal or Military Strike '50/50'

As diplomatic efforts on both sides continue towards a memorandum of understanding, Trump said the US is '50/50' between striking a peace deal with Iran or resuming military strikes.

The Wire Staff

As diplomatic efforts on both sides continue towards a memorandum of understanding, Trump said the US is '50/50' between striking a peace deal with Iran or resuming military strikes.

day 86 of us israel war on iran trump says iran deal or military strike 50 50

Bakhtiari nomads, wearing traditional dress, chant slogans as one of them holds a gun during a pro-government gathering on Monday, May 18, 2026, near the residence where former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran. Photot: AP/Vahid Salemi.

New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday (May 23) that the US is split “50/50” between arriving at a peace deal with Iran and renewing the military strikes, reported Al Jazeera. Axios news outlet reporter Barak Ravid, who spoke to Trump by phone, said the president claimed there is both a probability of securing a “good” agreement or choosing to “blow them to kingdom come.” “I think one of two things will happen: either I hit them harder than they have ever been hit, or we are going to sign a deal that is good,” Trump said.

In another interview with CBS News, Trump said that Washington and Tehran are “getting a lot closer” to finalising an agreement. “I will only sign a deal where we get everything we want,” he added. According to IRNA news agency, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran and the US are “currently working to finalise” a memorandum of understanding and ending the war on all fronts "including Lebanon."

Trump also had phone conversations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan on Saturday (May 23), while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his counterparts in Qatar, Egypt and Oman. The developments come in the wake of a series of diplomatic efforts, including Pakistan's army chief Munir's visit to Iran, although Baghaei said that Qatari delegation played a pivotal role in resolving misunderstandings despite Pakistan being the mediator "in the strict sense of the word."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to India, said, “There’s been some progress done, some progress made, even as ⁠I speak to ⁠you now, there’s some work being done,” Reuters reported. “There is ⁠a chance that, whether it’s ⁠later today, ⁠tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to ‌say,” he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in the occupied West Bank and Lebanon have relentlessly continued, killing and injuring several civilians, including children. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said that Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,123 people and wounded at least 9,506 since March 2, 2026.

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This article went live on May twenty-fourth, two thousand twenty six, at nineteen minutes past eleven in the morning.

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