U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington remains unconvinced by the terms being discussed with Iran, despite signs that Tehran is seeking an agreement to end months of conflict.
Speaking to reporters during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said Iranian officials appeared eager to reach a settlement, but warned that the United States was not yet prepared to accept what had been put forward. He also repeated that further military action remained possible if diplomacy failed.
“They just want to make a deal – I don’t think they have a choice,” Trump said. “They’re negotiating on fumes.”
His remarks came after Iranian state television reported what it claimed were details of a draft agreement. The alleged proposal included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing restrictions on Iranian ports, and withdrawing U.S. forces from the region. The White House dismissed the report as a “complete fabrication.”
Hopes of a breakthrough had grown late last week after both sides suggested that negotiations were moving forward. However, Tehran later said a deal was “not imminent,” while Trump said he had instructed American negotiators “not to rush into” an agreement.
“Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal.
“So far, they haven’t gotten there and we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also struck a cautious tone, saying there had been “some progress and some interest” in the talks. He added, “We’ll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made.”
The main obstacles remain unclear, but the dispute appears to centre on maritime access, sanctions, Iran’s nuclear programme, and the future of U.S. forces in the region.
Iranian media claimed the draft would restore commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz within a month, with Iran and Oman overseeing vessel routes. Trump rejected any suggestion that one country would control the waterway, saying “nobody” would do so and that it would reopen “immediately.”
The talks come after renewed U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, which Washington described as “self-defence strikes” intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” Tehran condemned the attacks as a gross violation of the ceasefire.