US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had instructed his negotiators not to rush into a deal with Iran, saying “time is on our side” and that the US blockade would remain “in full force and effect” until an agreement is “reached, certified, and signed,” as talks between Washington and Tehran appeared to advance.
In a Truth Social post, Trump framed the emerging negotiations as a tougher alternative to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal reached under former president Barack Obama, calling that agreement “one of the worst deals ever made” by the United States. He said the current talks were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner,” but warned that “there can be no mistakes” and that Iran must understand it cannot develop or obtain a “Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”
Earlier Sunday, Trump addressed the talks in an interview with ABC, saying: “I can’t talk about the deal; it’s totally up to me, and if there’s news, it’ll be good news. I don’t make bad deals.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later posted an AI-generated image on X showing him alongside Trump with the message: “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
It was Netanyahu’s first public response to the emerging agreement, after Israeli officials said the United States was keeping Israel updated on the negotiations. Earlier, Netanyahu had posted only about the overnight shooting near the White House, without referring to reports about the Iran talks.
According to the Israeli officials, Washington has updated Jerusalem on talks over a memorandum of understanding that would include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of negotiations toward a final agreement on the issues still in dispute between the United States and Iran.
The officials said Netanyahu told Trump in a call Saturday night that Israel would preserve freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon, and that Trump reiterated his support for that principle.
They added that Trump had made clear he would stand by his demand that Iran’s nuclear program be dismantled and that all enriched uranium be removed from Iranian territory before signing any final agreement. Netanyahu, they said, again expressed appreciation for Trump’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “the final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed” and would be announced soon. He said the Strait of Hormuz “will be opened,” along with other elements of the agreement, and described the deal as “mostly agreed to.” AP reported that the potential framework would include a formal declaration ending the war, followed by two months of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, and that the United States would end its blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian officials pushed back on parts of Trump’s description. Iran’s Fars news agency reported that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian management under the emerging agreement, whose draft had been exchanged between the parties. The agency described Trump’s claim about the opening of the strait as incomplete and inconsistent with reality.
A senior Iranian source told CNN that the negotiations could mark a “turning point” in efforts to end the war and bring the Middle East “a new era of stability and prosperity.” The source said “great progress” had been made in recent days toward a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict between the United States and Iran, and expressed hope that the Trump administration would seize the opportunity for a stable solution.
The source also praised several countries in the region for their mediation efforts. Addressing Trump’s claim on Hormuz, the source said the route had already been open, but that coordination with the relevant Iranian authorities was needed to ensure safe passage.
The source warned that renewed military action would risk “uncontrollable escalation” in the Middle East and beyond, adding that Iran’s armed forces were prepared to defend the country’s interests.
For Israel, the central question is whether the emerging understandings will address Iran’s uranium enriched to 60%, its nuclear infrastructure and its ballistic missile program. Trump’s public comments have focused on the broader framework, the blockade and the Strait of Hormuz, without spelling out how those issues would be resolved.