Trump Calls Iran's New Leadership 'Reasonable' as Pakistan Offers to Host Ceasefire Talks.

US President Donald Trump has described Iran's new leadership as "very reasonable" and expressed cautious optimism about reaching a diplomatic settlement, even as thousands of additional American troops arrived in the Middle East and Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump acknowledged that Washington and Tehran had been engaged in both direct and indirect communication. "I think we'll make a deal with them, I'm pretty sure, but it's possible we won't," he said.

Trump suggested the US had already achieved a form of regime change in Iran, following strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February. Khamenei has since been succeeded by his son, Mojtaba. Trump remarked on two separate occasions that the new Iranian leadership appeared willing to engage.

Pakistan Steps In as Mediator

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Sunday that regional foreign ministers had discussed pathways toward ending the conflict, including the possibility of direct US-Iran talks in Islamabad. "Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days," Dar said, though it remained unclear whether both Washington and Tehran had formally agreed to participate.

Tehran Warns Against Surrender

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf struck a defiant tone, accusing the United States of pursuing negotiations in public while privately planning a ground offensive. "As long as the Americans seek Iran's surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation," he said in a nationally broadcast address. Qalibaf added that Iran stood ready to respond militarily if US ground forces were deployed on Iranian soil.

Kharg Island in Washington's Crosshairs

In an interview published Sunday by the Financial Times, Trump said he wanted to "take the oil in Iran" and suggested American forces could seize Kharg Island — the country's primary oil export terminal located off Iran's western coast — with relative ease. "I don't think they have any defence. We could take it very easily," Trump said. The island processes approximately 90 percent of Iran's oil exports, and its seizure would deliver a severe blow to Tehran's economy.

The Pentagon has been weighing military options that could include ground operations, though no such plans have been formally authorized by the president, according to multiple media reports. Around 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region on Friday, with several hundred special operations personnel also reported to have deployed, citing unnamed military officials.

Strikes Continue on Both Sides

The Israeli military said on Monday that its air defence systems were activated in response to a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles. Israel stated it had conducted more than 140 air strikes on central and western Iran over the preceding 24-hour period, targeting ballistic missile launch sites and storage facilities. Iranian state media reported that Mehrabad airport and a petrochemical facility in the northern city of Tabriz were among the sites struck.

A chemical plant near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba was hit by a missile or missile debris, prompting authorities to issue public warnings over hazardous materials in the area.

An Israeli official said there were no plans to ease the pace of strikes ahead of any potential diplomatic talks.

Regional and Global Fallout

Yemen's Houthi movement entered the conflict on Saturday, launching its first attacks against Israel. Israeli authorities reported intercepting two drones launched from Yemen on Sunday. The development raised concerns over a possible threat to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a second critical shipping corridor.

Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments pass — has driven energy prices sharply higher. Brent crude futures climbed to $115.66 a barrel, on course for a record monthly increase.

Financial markets reflected growing anxiety. Japan's Nikkei index fell 4.7 percent on Monday as investors braced for a prolonged conflict. Economists have warned that sustained energy disruptions risk accelerating inflation and pushing parts of the global economy toward recession.

Public opposition to the war in the United States remains high, with polls showing most Americans against further military escalation — a political consideration that may weigh on the Trump administration as it navigates November's midterm elections.