President Donald Trump has sent back a proposed agreement with Iran with requested changes, pushing negotiations into at least another week, according to U.S. officials.
After meeting with advisers on Friday, Trump asked for stronger language on two main issues: Iran’s nuclear program commitments and its promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Officials say the changes are not major but focus on getting firmer guarantees from Iran.
U.S. allies in the Gulf region have been kept informed about the talks. One foreign official told CNN that the adjustments mainly reflect the U.S. desire for clearer assurances on these key points.
Trump has also expressed worry about any financial relief that might be given to Iran. He does not want the deal to resemble the Obama-era nuclear agreement, which he has repeatedly called weak and has criticized for involving large cash payments to Iran.
A U.S. official said military strikes are now unlikely because a deal appears close. Regional allies also do not want fighting to resume.
Just one week earlier, Trump had declared the deal “largely finalized” and suggested the end of the conflict was near. Since then, U.S. officials have said progress is being made toward an agreement that would end hostilities, reopen the strategic waterway, and start deeper talks on Iran’s nuclear activities.
However, even after Trump said he would make a “final determination” during Friday’s meeting, no final decision was reached. Trump later posted some details of the proposed conditions on social media.
There are clear differences between the two sides. Trump has claimed the U.S. would seize and destroy Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but Iran says it is not negotiating details of its nuclear program at this stage. Trump has also stated there would be no money exchanged as part of the deal, while Iran insists that financial relief must be included.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that no agreement will be approved until Tehran’s “rights” are fully protected. He emphasized that Iran needs “tangible achievements” before it will meet its own commitments.
On the U.S. side, Delaware Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the terms outlined by Trump look acceptable on paper but may be difficult to enforce in reality. He pointed out that while the U.S. can bomb Iranian facilities, it cannot easily prevent Iran from using mines to close the Strait of Hormuz or drones to attack shipping and allies.
In response to Iran’s earlier blockade of the strait — a vital route for global oil trade — Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian ports and clear the area of mines. That blockade remains in place. On Friday, U.S. forces disabled a Gambian-flagged ship heading toward Iran after issuing more than 20 warnings. It was the fifth commercial vessel disabled since the blockade began.
Negotiations continue as both sides work to bridge the remaining gaps in the agreement.
