Trump envoy Witkoff reveals more details of US negotiations with Iran prior to war
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
Trump envoy revealed the administration conducted direct negotiations with Iran before military action was taken.
AI Summary
Steve Witkoff, President Trump's envoy, disclosed new details Thursday regarding his direct negotiations with Iranian officials that preceded a U.S. military strike against Iran. The revelation indicates the Trump administration pursued diplomatic channels with Tehran even as military action was being prepared or carried out. Witkoff's disclosure provides rare insight into back-channel communications between Washington and Iran during a period of acute regional tension. The timing and substance of these negotiations could affect how Congress and allies view the administration's approach to Iran policy. Such pre-strike diplomacy suggests the White House may have been attempting to manage escalation or secure concessions before military operations commenced.
Source Coverage Map
21 of 43 tracked sources covered this story
Following this story?
Get notified when new coverage appears
Other Sources Covering This Story
5 sourcesMultiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.

Trump insists Iran is ‘begging to make a deal’ after Tehran dismisses ceasefire plan
This article is part of a story we're tracking:
Should this be getting more attention?
You Might Have Missed
Related stories from different sources and perspectives
FinanceOil, stock trading spikes before Trump's Iran remarks spark insider trading suspicions
Thousands of oil contracts -- a far higher volume than normal -- were traded 15 minutes before Trump pledged to halt strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, sending prices tumbling. Traders who bet on prices dropping ahead of the announcement would likely have profited from Trump's sudden reversal, prompting analysts to question whether some market participants had acted on prior information. FRANCE 24's Yinka Oyetade speaks with Meziane Lasfer, Professor of Finance at Bayes Business School, City University.
GlobalTrump news at a glance: president claims ignorance of Israel’s plan to strike Iranian gasfield, exposing rift
<p>Trump claimed on Truth Social that he had known nothing about the targeting of Iran’s gas reserves in advance – key US politics stories from 19 March 2026 at a glance</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-israel-war-on-iran">US-Israeli war</a> against Iran has exposed further divisions between the two countries after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/18/iran-intelligence-minister-esmail-khatib-killed-israel-claims">an Israeli strike on Iran’s largest gasfield angered US allies in the Gulf</a> and prompted Donald Trump to say he knew nothing in advance about the attack – a claim that Israeli officials disputed.</p><p>Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he had spoken to Benjamin Netanyahu following the strikes on Iran’s South Pars gasfield – part of a reserve shared with Qatar – and had told the Israeli prime minister to refrain from further attacks that could escalate a regional war on energy infrastructure.</p> <a href="https://...
Politics chat: Trump's mixed messages on the Iran war, the latest on DHS funding
We look at President Trump's mixed messages on the war with Iran, plus the latest on Department of Homeland Security funding, which Congress has frozen over his immigration enforcement policies.
GlobalWATCH: Trump says Iran's new leaders 'gave us a present' related to oil and Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump cryptically claimed Tuesday that he got a gift from Iran "worth a tremendous amount of money," telling reporters it revealed to him that "we're talking to the right people."
PoliticsLatest on Iran as Trump says war will end "pretty soon"
President Trump said Thursday that he is not sending troops into Iran, but he added, "if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," on Thursday. He also said the war is going to be over "pretty soon." CBS News' Eleanor Watson and Willie James Inman report.
PoliticsTrump approval sinks to 36 percent in Reuters/Ipsos poll amid gas price spike, Iran war
President Trump’s approval rating is taking a hit during his administration’s military operations against Iran, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The president’s job performance rating sunk to a new low of 36 percent in the Reuters/Ipsos survey, with 62 percent of respondents saying they disapproved of Trump’s performance. A survey from the polling center only…

Ethiopian asylum seeker deported by U.S. to Equatorial Guinea
Since retaking office, the Trump administration has deported more than 675,000 people. Even though the administration alleges that it's removing the worst of the worst, some fleeing political violence and some with strong asylum claims are getting swept up as well. William Brangham spoke with one of those individuals and her lawyer.
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
Fentanyl found inside Barbies sold at Missouri discount store, police say

Senate deal reached to cap insulin costs

The West's historic snow drought could bring water shortages, wildfires

Pentagon's limits on press access unconstitutional, US judge rules - Reuters

Washington ignores America's fiscal cliff






