Negotiations intensified today (Friday) with the arrival in Iran of Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir and Qatari representatives, but it remains unclear whether there is any real chance of an agreement. Officials in Iran have struck a pessimistic tone and do not appear prepared to offer President Donald Trump a significant compromise that would allow him to abandon his threat to renew the war.
The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported Friday evening, citing a source in Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry: “Washington and Tehran are not showing sufficient flexibility on key issues, and the army chief’s visit to Tehran may be a last effort to prevent the return of war to the region.”
(Video: The White House)
At the same time, Axios reported that Trump, who announced Friday evening that he would miss his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Caribbean on Saturday because of the situation and the “important period” underway, and would remain at the White House, has grown increasingly frustrated in recent days. On Monday, he announced he had called off a major attack that he said had been planned for the following day in order to give negotiations another chance.
A source close to Trump said the president had raised the possibility of a “final” operation involving extensive strikes, after which he would declare victory and end the war. Another U.S. official described recent negotiations as an “agonizing” process in which draft proposals are passed back and forth “every day” without meaningful progress.
Speaking to supporters Friday evening at a rally at a college in New York, Trump promised that the war would “end soon,” without elaborating. He also repeated his demand that Iran never obtain nuclear weapons.
Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday evening, and according to The Wall Street Journal, his visit reflects a “critical juncture” in the negotiations. But despite reports Friday morning of a “final draft” for a brief memorandum of understanding that would end the war while postponing core disputes — chiefly the nuclear issue — to later talks, it remains unclear in which direction negotiations are heading.
Wall Street Journal reporter Laurence Norman cited sources saying the draft was inaccurate. The newspaper later reported, citing Middle Eastern sources, that although mediators are trying to accelerate talks to achieve a breakthrough, the war could resume within days if one is not reached.
Iran continues to insist that an initial agreement to end the war must come first, with negotiations over major disputed issues such as the nuclear program only afterward. This comes against the backdrop of an unverified report claiming Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered that enriched uranium not be removed from Iranian territory. If such an order was indeed given, it would likely prevent an agreement because it is considered a red line for Trump.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei appeared to reference the issue Friday evening, saying: “We will not reach a solution at this stage if we want to discuss the details of highly enriched uranium. We must first end the war, and afterward we can talk — or not talk — about other issues.”
Baghaei described Munir’s arrival as part of a complex negotiation process that does not indicate an agreement is near.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir
(Photo: AFP PHOTO / Iranian Foreign Ministry)
“The differences between Iran and the United States are deep and numerous, and it cannot be said that after several visits or several weeks of negotiations we will certainly reach a conclusion. The focus of the negotiations is ending the war, and at this stage there are no plans to discuss issues related to nuclear matters,” he said.
Iran’s demands were later reiterated, with no indication Tehran is softening its position. A senior Iranian source told Al Jazeera that “a ceasefire on all fronts” is a necessary condition for any future negotiations — meaning Tehran continues to demand an end to the war both on its territory and in Lebanon as a condition for reaching the preliminary memorandum of understanding that would open the door to longer negotiations on disputed issues.
“No final agreement has yet been reached, and efforts are being made to bridge the gap between Tehran and Washington. The positive atmosphere surrounding the diplomatic activity is important, but it is not enough for a real agreement,” the Iranian official said.
“Ending the war, lifting the American blockade and ensuring stability in the Strait of Hormuz are at the top of priorities,” he added, also demanding the release of frozen Iranian funds and the lifting of sanctions on oil exports.
“The Iranian forces are preparing their actions according to the worst-case scenario,” he stressed, after Iran repeatedly threatened this week with severe retaliation if the war resumes, including expanding it beyond the region.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency later quoted an “informed source” saying the talks are currently focused on ending the war. “Until this issue is resolved, there will be no negotiations on other matters,” the source said. According to the source, “there has been progress on several issues compared to the past, but until all disputed matters are resolved, there will be no agreement.”
Trump also appears to be preparing for the possibility that talks could collapse. As noted, he announced Friday that he would not attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., scheduled for Saturday in the Bahamas.
Despite Trump’s growing frustration, and public signals that his patience is wearing thin, he faces a difficult dilemma. He has repeatedly made clear that any agreement must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons in the future, while a memorandum of understanding to end the war — as Iran demands — would effectively force him to abandon the threat of using military force to achieve that goal.
On the other hand, it is also unclear whether renewed attacks would subdue Iran as he hopes, while a ground operation to seize enriched uranium would be extremely dangerous and complex.
Alongside the fact that the World Cup, which the United States will co-host with Mexico and Canada, is set to begin June 11, Trump is facing mounting domestic pressure to end the war amid soaring oil prices that are being felt acutely by supporters in the conservative camp. Polls indicate weakening support for him even among Republicans.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday, Trump’s approval rating among Americans now stands at just 35%, close to the low point of his current term last month, when it stood at 34%.
Among Republicans, the figure is 79% — still high, but down from 82% earlier this month and sharply lower than the 91% recorded at the start of his second term.
Perhaps more troubling for Trump and Republicans, who fear losing control of Congress in the November midterm elections, is public sentiment on the economy. In the new poll, only 47% of Republicans said Trump is handling the cost of living well, while 46% said he is doing a poor job.
Among Americans overall, only one in five said Trump is doing a good job addressing the cost of living, which has continued to rise since his return to the White House and accelerated further since the war with Iran began, triggering a dramatic surge in fuel prices.
The average price of gasoline in the United States now stands at $4.56 per gallon — an increase of $1.50 compared with prices before the war.
Politico reported Thursday that the White House fears that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked because of the conflict with Iran, prices could rise even further and surpass the record reached under President Joe Biden in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which also drove up global oil prices.
At that time, gasoline prices in the United States reached $5.02 per gallon. Five sources told Politico that the White House views that figure as a symbolic benchmark and hopes to avoid reaching it because it allows Trump to continue portraying his predecessor’s presidency as far worse.
But an expert cited in the report warned that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed throughout June, that record will likely be broken by the United States’ 250th Independence Day on July 4.
According to the expert, the fact that the United States has now become a major oil exporter — serving as an alternative to oil blocked from the Persian Gulf — could itself contribute to higher prices for American consumers.
“If we get into the heart of the summer travel season while the strait is still closed, there’s going to be much more pressure, much more demand — not just in the United States, but abroad as well.”
According to the report, the White House is also concerned about the recent rise in U.S. government bond yields and fears that the combination of higher fuel prices and higher yields will make it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
“The team in the White House is in complete and total panic over bond yields and gas prices,” a source close to the administration claimed. “There’s a lot of anxiety that they weren’t able to close a deal,” one of Trump’s former energy advisers said. The White House denied the report.
“That is false,” spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. “As usual, Politico is relying on anonymous sources to promote fake news. President Trump and his energy team anticipated short-term market disruptions, made that clear openly to the American people, and implemented an aggressive plan to mitigate any impact. President Trump will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he will continue advancing America’s core national security interests. When the president brings this conflict to a successful conclusion, gas prices will fall back to multi-year lows, and global energy markets will be far more stable in the long term.”
First published: 00:29, 05.23.26