Iran Secretly Contacted CIA to Discuss End of Conflict; Trump Says It's Too Late

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence operatives reportedly reached out indirectly to the CIA through a third country's intelligence service, offering to discuss terms for ending the conflict. Trump, initially signaling openness to talks, shifted to a harder line after the outreach became public, declaring it was "too late" and noting that "most of the people we had in mind are dead." The contact landed as continued Israeli strikes threw Iran's leadership structure into deeper disarray, complicating the fundamental question of who can credibly commit Iran to any ceasefire. Israeli officials urged Washington to dismiss the overture, preferring a sustained campaign to maximize damage to Iranian military capabilities.