Iranian intelligence has sent word to the United States it could be prepared to open talks on how to end the war, according to people familiar with the indirect messages, but US officials say there are no negotiations currently underway and that potential “off ramps” are unlikely to materialize in the near term.

Iran has not requested talks with the United States to bring an end to the widening war, Iran’s ambassador to Egypt told AP Thursday, denying comments by US President Donald Trump that the country “wants to talk.

The United States and Israel launched coordinated weekend strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, triggering an expanding regional conflict.

Iran and the United States began indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, a last-ditch bid to avert war following the biggest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades.

The talks sought to de-escalate tensions after Washington bombed Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran launched a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

As the US military operation against Iran shifts into a new phase, how the war ends remains the top question for many officials, lawmakers and US allies.

If the negotiations set for Thursday fail, President Trump repeatedly has threatened to attack Iran, which Mideast nations fear could spark a new regional war.

The Kremlin says it remains open to a mediating role for Washington in Russia's war against Ukraine, despite its criticism of the US attacks on Iran. "We continue to greatly appreciate the mediation

Trump's call for full capitulation came hours after Iran's president said mediation efforts to end the war were under way.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be asking himself if the time has come to pick up the phone and call US President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump used a White House ceremony honoring soccer legend Lionel Messi to boast about US military operations against Iran, leaving players visibly uncomfortable as they stood behind