US deploys troops to Middle East while pursuing Iran talks on Thursday
Iranian officials reportedly told intermediaries involved in the process that they had been “tricked twice” by the Trump administration and warned they did not want to be “fooled again"
The United States is deploying at least 1,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to multiple officials familiar with the plans and reports from CNN and Associated Press.
Sources told the Associated Press that the force package includes roughly 1,000 soldiers from the elite airborne unit, part of a broader effort to reinforce US military posture across the region. The movement is expected in the coming days, though officials have not publicly disclosed the precise destination or mission scope.
At the same time, President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that diplomatic talks with Tehran could begin as early as Thursday. According to Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are leading the U.S. negotiating effort.
US officials have developed a 15-point framework aimed at ending the conflict and stabilizing the region, which has been conveyed to Iranian authorities through intermediaries, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal is said to outline steps intended to de-escalate military tensions and open a pathway toward a broader settlement.
However, Iranian officials have strongly pushed back against Washington’s approach. An Iranian military spokesman, speaking through state media, said the United States was effectively “negotiating with itself,” dismissing the talks as internally inconsistent and politically fragmented.
The comments were echoed by Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who mocked Washington’s efforts, asking rhetorically: “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?” He added that “people like us can never get along with people like you,” underscoring the depth of the diplomatic rift.
Zolfaqari also argued that US influence in the region would not be restored under current conditions, saying American investments and pre-war energy stability would not return unless Washington accepted what he described as Iran’s role in guaranteeing regional security.
The Iranian response comes amid continued skepticism in Tehran toward US mediation channels. According to sources cited by Axios, Iranian officials told intermediaries involved in the process that they had been “tricked twice” by the Trump administration and warned they did not want to be “fooled again.”
Sources to i24NEWS said Iran has expressed particular distrust toward US envoys including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, claiming that previous rounds of engagement collapsed after military action followed diplomatic contact. “We negotiated with them twice and scheduled another meeting, and then they came and bombed us,” one Iranian source said.
The current diplomatic push, however, is being led by more senior officials, US Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio are now taking the lead role in talks.