Don’t Rush into Deal with Iran, there can be no Mistakes: Trump
Washington: US President Donald Trump stated that the US and Iran are “largely negotiating” a peace agreement to end the war that has been going on for about three months, and said that he told the negotiators “not to rush to reach an agreement” and that “both sides should take their time and do it right.”
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said negotiations between the United States and Iran were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner” but told representatives “not to rush to reach a deal” and that “time is on our side.”
Trump said the US blockade of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz “will remain in full effect until an agreement is reached, ratified and signed.”
“Both sides should take their time and do everything right. There can be no mistakes,” Trump said. He also invited Iran to join the Abraham Accords, which envisage the establishment of diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and Arab countries.
His comments Sunday morning came a day after he announced on social media that the deal had been “substantially negotiated” and that final terms and details were being discussed and would be announced shortly.
Trump said he met with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Israel on Saturday.
The US President was in the Oval Office late Saturday night and didn’t even attend his son Don Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas.
“Our relations with Iran are becoming much more professional and efficient. But they need to understand that they cannot develop or procure nuclear weapons or bombs,” he said on Sunday.
Trump also reacted harshly to the nuclear deal that former President Barack Obama signed with Iran in 2015 and suggested that Iran could join the Abraham Accords.
“I want to thank all the countries in the Middle East so far for their support and cooperation, which will grow stronger and stronger as they join the Nations that participated in the historic Abraham Accords, and who knows, maybe the Islamic Republic of Iran will want to join as well,” Trump said.
The United States and Iran have agreed in principle on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran committing to dispose of its highly enriched uranium, the New York Times reported, citing a US official.
An agreement has not yet been signed and is still subject to final approval by President Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader, which could take days, the official said Sunday.
The mechanism by which Iran will dispose of its highly enriched uranium is still being negotiated, the official said.
The agreement does not address Iran’s missile stockpile and does not envisage a moratorium on enrichment. These issues will be addressed in future negotiations, the US official said.
In previous rounds of negotiations, the United States wanted a commitment of at least 20 years.
Reports of a possible deal with Iran have drawn mixed reactions from leaders in the political community.
Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, said Sunday he would support a short-term deal with Iran but lamented that it hasn’t already happened through a war powers measure aimed at ending the war.
“We could have avoided this war, food prices wouldn’t have gone up, gas prices wouldn’t have gone up,” Khanna said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Even if we don’t get the vote, we are putting pressure on the president. I have always said that I would support a negotiated end to the war,” Khanna said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, criticized the Trump administration’s attempts to negotiate a 60-day extension of the ceasefire with Iran.
He told CNN that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured members of Congress 11 weeks ago that they were “destroying Iran’s defenses.”
“Now we are talking about a stance where we can accept the remaining nuclear material in Iran? How reasonable is that?” Tillis asked.
He also said it was “doubtful” that Iran would lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz before the terms of the agreement were determined.
“There’s a lot to be explained,” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said that if Arab and Muslim allies in the region agree to join the Abraham Accords as a result of these negotiations to end the Iran conflict, it would be one of the most important agreements in the history of the Middle East.
“Having Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan join the Abraham Accords would be beyond transformative for the region and the world. This is a great move by President Trump,” Graham said.
