Trump holds Situation Room meeting to decide on Iran deal
WASHINGTON— A framework agreement to end the U.S. war with Iran is nearly complete and awaiting signature by the presidents of the two warring sides, President Trump said Friday, reflecting optimism that a deal could finally be within reach.
But doubts clouded the diplomatic process heading into the weekend as Trump faced the politically fraught decision to strike a deal that would always require significant concessions to Tehran.
The negotiations have faced serious setbacks in recent days; Both sides accused the other of violating a fragile ceasefire that has largely halted fighting since April.
Trump said on the Truth Social site: He summoned his top aides To the White House Situation Room to decide on the deal.
The agreement calls for the end of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the removal of Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz, an international waterway through which 20% of the world’s energy supply passes every day. Trump wrote that the strait would reopen “at no charge” for “unlimited shipping traffic in both directions.”
“Iran must agree that it will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” Trump wrote, stating that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the key component of nuclear weapons, will be discovered and DESTROYED by the United States (considered to be the only country, along with China, with the mechanical capacity to do so), in close coordination and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“No money will be exchanged until further notice,” he added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the deal would require Iran to reject the continuation of its domestic nuclear program; This is a diplomatic feat never before accomplished in a quarter-century of international negotiations over Iran’s nuclear work.
It’s unclear whether Tehran can go that far. And Iran’s negotiators expressed opposition on Friday that the American side “cannot trust guarantees or promises.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Galibaf said, “No step will be taken without the other side taking action first.” “We get concessions with missiles, not dialogue,” he said.
It remains unclear when the Trump administration will ease sanctions against Iran, how comprehensive this relief will be, or in what form it will take; These questions fueled Republican criticism of the Obama-era nuclear deal more than a decade ago.
The working diplomatic document would formally extend the current ceasefire by 60 days and allow for more detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. However, in its current form, the ceasefire is on precarious ground. Iran launched a ballistic missile at close U.S. ally Kuwait on Thursday after American forces took “defensive” actions against Iran’s missile launchers and mine-laying boats launched in the strait.
The war has historically been unpopular with the American public and has caused oil prices to soar since the US military, jointly with Israel, launched its first attack on Iran in February.
Bessent said he is hopeful that oil prices will drop rapidly after the agreement is signed. But industry analysts say the effects of the war on the oil market could last for months, if not years, and for commercial shippers, the stability of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is now in question.
Markets appeared nervous about the possibility of a deal on Friday as oil fell below $100 a barrel, sending mixed messages from the region.
It is also unclear whether a U.S. deal with Iran would in any way tie Israel’s hands in its military operations in Iran or in Lebanon, where Iran’s proxy militia, Hezbollah, has vowed to continue the war.
Israel has increased attacks against Hezbollah targets in recent days; This has jeopardized the fragile ceasefire negotiated with the Lebanese government, which the Trump administration has promoted to grease the wheels of negotiations with Tehran.
Trump has been uncharacteristically silent on the possibility of a deal in recent days, expressing cautious optimism in limited conversations with reporters.
“It’s hard to say exactly if or when the president will sign,” Vice President J.D. Vance, who leads the U.S. diplomatic team, told reporters, noting that “nuclear issues” were still subject to negotiation. “We go back and forth on a few language points.”
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress here,” Vance added. “Hopefully we’ll continue to make progress and the president will be in a position to approve the deal. But frankly that doesn’t know yet.”
