Trump leaves door open for Iran talks despite declaring nuclear MOU ‘over’

US President Donald Trump has signalled that negotiations with Iran could still continue, despite earlier declaring that the preliminary memorandum of understanding, MOU, between Washington and Tehran was effectively finished following Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the decision to pursue further diplomacy would rest with those leading the negotiations, even though he expressed little confidence in the process.

“I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people,” the president said.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring solely to the US negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance and senior advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, or also to regional mediators, including Qatar, Pakistan and Turkey, who have played roles in facilitating contacts between the two sides.

Trump also accused the Iranian government of carrying out widespread killings of anti-regime demonstrators, claiming that tens of thousands of protesters had lost their lives under the Islamic Republic.

According to the president, opposition movements inside Iran have been unable to overthrow the government because they lack the means to defend themselves against heavily armed security forces.

“When people ask why they haven’t taken over, it’s because they’re being killed,” Trump said. “They don’t have guns, while the other side has machine guns. They’re killing them, and the press doesn’t report it.”

The president’s latest remarks reflects the uncertainty surrounding US-Iran relations, as Washington balances military pressure with the possibility of renewed diplomatic engagement.