US President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on a deal with Iran to end the war after signaling his approval was close.
Meanwhile, Iran insists that no final agreement has been reached, blasting several of Trump’s claims about the deal as a “mixture of truths and lies” as both sides disagree on a number of issues.
High-stakes Meeting
Trump held a meeting with his top security advisers in the White House Situation Room on Friday to make a “final determination,” as he claimed ahead of the meeting.
However, the meeting – which lasted for more than two hours – ended without a decision, US media reported, citing a senior administration official.
“The Situation Room meeting has concluded and lasted approximately two hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official said in a statement.
Trump’s Demands
Before the meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.” He added that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls and remove all naval mines.
Additionally, he said that the US will lift its naval blockade and extract and destroy Iran’s “nuclear dust” in close coordination with Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noting that Iran will not get money in return, until further notice.
Nuclear Standoff
In an interview with the Financial Times, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that Kazakhstan has signaled willingness to receive Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium if a deal is reached.
However, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, Ebrahim Azizi, has emphasized to Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti that Tehran does not intend to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium to a third country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also said that Iran’s nuclear program is not currently included in talks. “At this stage, we are focused on ending the war and will not discuss the details of nuclear issues,” he told Iranian state TV.
Iranian Counterclaim
Iranian officials have dismissed Trump’s claims as a “mix of truth and lies” and an attempt to stage a fake victory, the semi-official Fars news agency reported citing informed sources. They said that the agreement takes the form of a “commitment for commitment” and has not yet been ratified in Iran.
The sources said that the text of the agreement has no clause regarding the toll-free reopening of Hormuz, while the statement about dismantling and destroying Iran’s nuclear material “is fundamentally baseless.”
Furthermore, the sources claimed that Trump skipped the mention of the immediate payment of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets – a key provision for Tehran to engage in further negotiations.
He also did not mention the establishment of a complete ceasefire in Lebanon, in line with Hezbollah’s view, the sources told Fars.
Deep Distrust
Iranian officials have signaled “complete distrust” of the US, according to Fars news agency. Iran’s top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said on Friday that Tehran has “no trust in guarantees or words,” only actions are the measure.
“No action will be taken before the other side acts,” he posted on X, adding that Iran “seizes concessions not through dialogue, but with missiles.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that Iran and the US continue to exchange messages but the agreement “has not been finalized yet.”
“We said goodbye to the language of ‘should’ 47 years ago,” Baghaei told state media, noting that the management of Hormuz must be decided by Iran and Oman.
“We need to see in practice whether they will actually follow through on their promise or is it just a publicity claim,” he added, referring to the naval blockade.
A Return to War?
Both the US and Iran have signaled readiness to resume military action if negotiations failed. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that the US is ready to resume attacks on Iran.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable,” he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.
“Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place,” he stated, adding that Trump has been “patient” and wants to make a “great deal” that ensures Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
Qalibaf, for his part, said that the winner of any agreement “is the one who is better prepared for war from the day after.”
