Donald Trump says the United States is in negotiations with Iran to end the war as the Pentagon reportedly prepares to deploy thousands more troops to the Middle East.

The US president said senior members of his cabinet were in talks with Iranian officials, who he said had agreed to “never have a nuclear weapon”.

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“We’re in negotiations right now,” he said from the Oval Office.

“They’re doing it along with [US Secretary of State] Marco [Rubio] [ and Vice-President] JD [Vance].

“We have a number of people involved. And I can tell you, the other side would like to make a deal.” 

‘A very big present’

The president said Iran had sent the US a “present” that was “oil and gas-related” and had aided diplomatic efforts to end hostilities.

“They gave us a present and the present arrived today. It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money,” he told reporters.

“I’m not going to tell you what the present is, but it was a very significant prize.”

He added that the mystery gift was related to the Strait of Hormuz — the critical choke point at the centre of the conflict through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes.

“What it showed me is we’re dealing with the right people,” he said.

His comments come amid conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran over whether negotiations are actually taking place.

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Yesterday, Mr Trump backed away from threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying he had held “productive” discussions with Iran. 

But Iranian officials maintain that no negotiations have taken place.

The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf — reportedly acting as an interlocutor — dismissed reports of direct negotiations as “fake news”.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered to host talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the conflict in the Gulf.

Elite airborne force set for deployment

The developments come amid multiple US media reports that senior military officials are preparing to deploy an additional 3,000 airborne troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region.

The military unit based in North Carolina is made up of elite fighters who specialise in parachute assault. 

It remains unclear where in the region the troops are being sent or when they will arrive.

The deployment marks a drastic escalation in the conflict and the third surge of US forces to the region since the war began.

About 50,000 US troops are already stationed across the region, underscoring a rapidly expanding military build-up just a month into the war.

The move comes days after the Trump administration ordered the deployment of an estimated 2,500 California-based marines to the Middle East.

The latest surge raises questions about whether the US will eventually commit ground forces in Iran — a step that would likely cross a red line for many Republicans.

The White House would not confirm reports that additional troops would soon be deployed but said the president had “all military options at his disposal”.

Israel’s parallel operation

Meanwhile, there are no signs of the conflict easing in the Gulf or in Lebanon, where Israel is conducting a parallel operation against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Israel has announced plans to accelerate its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, expanding its territorial control and signalling the possibility of a longer-term presence.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the operation as an “occupation” aimed at creating a “security zone” stretching from the Israeli border to the Litani River.

Israeli strikes on alleged Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs have killed more than 1,000 people, including more than 100 children and several medical workers.

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran late last month after saying diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program had failed despite mediator Oman reporting significant progress in negotiations.

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