President Donald Trump ended a meeting in the White House Situation Room without announcing a final decision on whether to approve a deal suspending the three-month-long Iran war, an administration official told CNBC Friday afternoon.
Trump said on Truth Social early Friday that he would make a “final decision” at the meeting after Trump listed everything Iran must do to approve the deal.
It was not immediately clear from Trump’s posts which of his terms of victory are part of a preliminary agreement that U.S. and Iranian negotiators are working on to suspend the three-month war.
In a post Friday morning, Trump said Iran “must agree” to never have a nuclear weapon and demanded that the Strait of Hormuz “immediately open” to unrestricted shipping without tolls.
He also said the U.S. retaliatory naval blockade against Iran in the Gulf of Oman would be “lifted,” but it was unclear whether that meant the move would only be taken if preconditions were met.
Trump also said the United States would “unearth” and destroy enriched material buried at the site of last year’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, “in close coordination and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
President Trump added: “No money will be exchanged or received until further notice.” “Other items, which are far less important, have been agreed.”
“I will now make a final decision in the situation room,” he said.
Oil prices fell in response to President Trump’s post.
Transaction Text Disputes
The exact terms of the deal being discussed are unclear. Following President Trump’s post on Friday, Iran’s state news agency Fars pushed back on the president’s claims, saying it “raises issues that are inconsistent with the provisions of the text of the agreement.”
Despite President Trump’s mention of toll-free passage through the Straits, “there is no such provision in the text of the agreement,” Firth said in a translation of the Telegram post, citing “sources.”
The draft agreement under discussion also does not include any reference to Iran dismantling or destroying nuclear material, Fars newspaper said.
Fars also claimed that the “most important part of the deal” was “the immediate payment of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets.” According to Fars news agency, Iran will refuse further negotiations unless that payment is made.
The White House did not respond to CNBC’s questions about Trump’s post and Fals’ rebuttal.
White House officials confirmed Thursday an Axios report that U.S. and Iranian negotiating teams have reached a 60-day memorandum of understanding that extends the ongoing ceasefire and begins nuclear negotiations.
The memorandum also lifts restrictions on the strait and specifies that Iran must clear all mines from the waterway within 30 days, with the United States lifting its blockade accordingly.
Addressing Iran’s highly enriched uranium and enrichment goals will be the top priority for the next 60 days, according to the Axios report. The draft would also intensify negotiations on sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds.
View of the strait
President Trump’s latest signal of progress toward a peace deal between the United States and Iran stands in contrast to recent economic and military conflict between the two countries and continued anti-American attitudes by Iranian officials and state media.
The Pentagon announced Thursday morning that Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait and deployed attack drones in and around the strait. Iranian media reported late Thursday local time that the country’s military fired a missile at an unidentified target.
The U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions against Iran on Wednesday and Thursday, including those targeting Iran’s new efforts to control passage through the strait.
In X posts released ahead of Trump’s statement Friday morning, Iranian officials touted their relationship with Middle Eastern neighbors, including Oman, which has been the target of Trump’s recent threats, and showed a defiant stance toward the United States.
Oman is reportedly in talks with Iran about charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a globally important oil shipping route that has been largely cut off by Iranian threats since the start of the war.
“Oman will act like other countries do, or we will have to blow up Oman,” President Trump said at a cabinet meeting Wednesday. On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Oman that the United States would “aggressively target” those involved in “facilitating tolling” of the strait.
A social media account attributed to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gave a cryptic but offensive statement on the status of negotiations on TranslationX Post on Friday morning.
“We use missiles, not dialogue, to obtain concessions. In negotiations, we only try to get the other side to understand,” Ghalibaf’s explanation reads.
“We don’t believe in guarantees or words. Actions are the only measure. No action is taken before the other person takes action,” the post said. “The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war the next day.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi said in a post that he had met with Oman’s foreign minister and “expressed the solidarity of Iran and Oman in the face of any threat.”
Read Trump’s full post:
Iran must agree to never have nuclear weapons or bombs. The Strait of Hormuz should open immediately, without tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic in both directions. If there are surface mines (bombs), they will all be decommissioned (we have cleared a large number of such mines by detonation with our great underwater minesweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any remaining mines, although not in large numbers!). Vessels trapped in the Straits due to our country’s stunning and unprecedented naval blockade will now be lifted and may begin the process of ‘returning home’. Please say “Hello” to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President. This enriched material, also known as “nuclear dust,” sitting buried deep beneath the surface of mountains that virtually collapsed due to the attack by our powerful B2 bombers 11 months ago, will be dug up and destroyed by the United States (which along with China is agreed to be the only country with mechanical capabilities!) in close coordination and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. No monetary exchange will take place until further notice. Other less important items have also been agreed. I will now make the final decision in the situation room. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. President Donald J. Trump
This is breaking news. Please refresh to check for updates.
