By Alejandra Jaramillo, Tim Lister, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler, CNN
(CNN) — US President Donald Trump was meeting with Gulf and other regional leaders Saturday afternoon to review Iran’s latest proposal to end the war, a source familiar with the matter said, as mediators emerged from sessions in Tehran suggesting they had drawn closer to reaching a framework for a possible deal.
Trump, speaking to Axios in a phone interview, described the chances of reaching an agreement with Iran as a “solid 50/50” before the call with Gulf and other regional leaders, adding that he could decide by Sunday whether to resume military action against Iran.
The president said the talks could either lead to a “good” deal or result in the US choosing to “blow them to kingdom come.”
Earlier Saturday, US and Iranian officials suggested that they may be closer to reaching a framework agreement to end the war after mediators from Qatar and Pakistan held talks in Tehran. One regional source said the US and Iran were moving closer to an agreement to work toward a more detailed deal in the future.
“There may be news later today. I don’t have news for you at this very moment, but there might be some news a little later today. There may not be. I hope there will be, but I’m not sure yet,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.
Trump’s call Saturday was expected to include Gulf leaders and officials from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, a source from the region told CNN. Trump told Axios he also planned to speak with enjoy Steve Witkoff and adviser adviser Jared Kushner, his son-in-law. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, was spotted arriving at the White House Saturday.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a limited security consultation on Saturday evening with selected ministers and security officials to discuss the developments in Iran negotiations, an Israeli source told CNN.
The mediation efforts come after Trump met with top US national security officials Friday to discuss his next steps in the war, including the possibility of resuming fighting.
Rubio said diplomatic efforts remain underway behind the scenes, and Washington remains focused on making sure Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon and addressing its stockpiles of enriched uranium.
“Even as I speak to you now, there’s some work being done,” Rubio said. “There is a chance that, whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say.”
Meanwhile, Trump also expressed optimism on Saturday, saying in an interview with CBS News he had seen a draft of Iran’s proposal, and that both sides are “getting a lot closer” to a deal, according to Nancy Cordes, a correspondent for the network.
Trump did not say whether he will agree to the draft, saying “I can’t tell you before I tell them, right?”
‘A positive trajectory’
Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran has been focused on finalizing a memorandum of understanding through the Pakistani-mediated talks.
That memorandum would focus on ending the war, ending the US naval blockade of Iran and the release of Tehran’s blocked asse