Trump says talks with Iran continue by phone

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that ongoing talks with Iran are now being conducted by phone.

“We’re having talks with them now, and we’re not flying anymore with 18-hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper. We’re doing it telephonically,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Iran and the US held talks in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on April 11 but failed to reach an agreement to end the war that began on Feb. 28.

The negotiations followed a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8, which was later extended by Trump, who canceled a planned trip to Islamabad this weekend by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Trump acknowledged that he generally prefers face-to-face meetings.

“I always like face-to-face, you know, I consider it better. But when you have to fly 18 hours every time you want to have a meeting, and you know what the meeting is all about … it’s ridiculous,” he said.

He reiterated that any agreement would depend on Iran fully abandoning nuclear weapons ambitions.