WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump has said he has instructed American negotiators not to hurry into an agreement with Iran, even as he earlier suggested that a deal was close.
The discussions reportedly include a proposed 60-day extension of a ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and continued negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a social media post, Trump said talks were “constructive” but stressed that both sides should “take their time and get it right.”
On Saturday, Trump indicated that an agreement had been “largely negotiated,” fuelling expectations of a possible imminent announcement. Iranian officials also pointed to progress over the weekend, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei describing the situation as both “very close and very far” from a final deal.
According to US media reports, the proposed arrangement would not be a comprehensive settlement but a phased framework, leaving key issues for later negotiation, including sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and US demands for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
The reported progress has triggered divisions among Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz called it “a disastrous mistake,” while Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker warned that a 60-day ceasefire could undermine previous military gains. However, Representative Mike Lawler of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the administration had succeeded in pushing Iran into “a real negotiation.”
The US and Israel previously carried out large-scale strikes on Iran on 28 February, escalating regional tensions. Iran retaliated by targeting Israel and US-aligned Gulf states and disrupting maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route carrying around 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, causing a surge in global oil prices.
Following a ceasefire in early April, the US reportedly imposed restrictions on Iranian ports, which Trump said would remain in effect until a final agreement is reached, certified, and signed.
(Inputs from BBC)
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