Trump says making final decision on proposed Iran deal

AFP | Washington

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US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he was making a final decision on a potential agreement with Iran, while Tehran maintained that any deal to end the Middle East conflict depended on Washington abandoning what it described as excessive demands.

Iran’s chief negotiator had earlier said Tehran would judge Washington by its actions rather than its statements, after US Vice President JD Vance said progress had been made toward extending the ceasefire and establishing a framework for broader peace negotiations.

US officials told AFP that a proposed agreement was awaiting Trump’s approval following weeks of intermittent negotiations aimed at ending a conflict that has affected the Middle East and global markets.

“I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,” Trump said in a social media post, repeating longstanding US demands that Iran permanently forgo nuclear weapons and restore unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also said Iran would remove mines from the strait, that the United States would lift its naval restrictions on Iranian ports, and that both countries would coordinate efforts regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles. He did not specify whether those provisions had already been agreed or remained under discussion.

Trump’s comments came as Iran’s top diplomat suggested that US negotiating positions were complicating efforts to reach an agreement.

Expectations of a possible agreement increased on Thursday after US officials expressed optimism about diplomatic progress, with Vance telling reporters that “a lot of progress” had been achieved.

Optimism surrounding a potential agreement supported Asian stock markets yesterday, while oil prices eased slightly.

Energy markets have remained volatile as investors evaluate the prospects of an agreement that could restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has restricted since the conflict began.

Iran has not publicly confirmed any commitments, and Iranian media have reported that any agreement announced unilaterally by Trump would not automatically be recognised by Tehran.

Yesterday, Tasnim News Agency, citing a source, reported that the text had not yet been finalised and that the wording of the proposed memorandum of understanding had been revised in recent days.

The role of Qatar in mediation efforts has expanded, and the country’s state news agency reported late Thursday that Trump had spoken with its ruler regarding the latest developments in efforts to end the conflict.