By JBizNews Desk | Monday, May 4, 2026
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Sunday that Washington and Tehran are actively communicating as both sides exchange proposals aimed at ending the Iran war — the clearest public signal yet that diplomatic channels remain open despite the ongoing conflict.
Witkoff, speaking to CNN on Sunday from President Donald Trump’s Doral golf club where the PGA Cadillac Championship was underway, said the two countries are in active contact when asked directly about the state of negotiations. The confirmation came on the same day Iran’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Tehran had received a response from Washington to its latest peace proposal — delivered through Pakistan as intermediary — and was reviewing it.
Trump echoed the signal in a Truth Social post Sunday, saying his team is engaged in discussions with Iran that he believes could produce a favorable outcome for both countries. The remarks marked a notable softening from the day before, when the president had publicly questioned whether Iran had yet suffered enough consequences to make a deal worthwhile.
The diplomatic activity is unfolding alongside a new military pressure point. Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. would begin escorting stranded commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday — a move he called “Project Freedom” — adding a direct military dimension to an already fragile negotiating environment.
For markets and consumers, the stakes of any breakthrough are enormous. Gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed nearly 50% since the war began on February 28, driven almost entirely by the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries roughly one fifth of the world’s daily oil supply. Every day the waterway stays closed, the economic cost to American families and businesses compounds.
Whether Sunday’s diplomatic signals translate into a genuine ceasefire framework — or are overtaken by what happens in the strait on Monday morning — will determine the near-term direction of oil prices, inflation and global trade.
— JBizNews Desk
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