US President Donald Trump said Washington will not rush into a peace agreement with Iran despite recent signs of progress in negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict that has shaken global energy markets for months.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump stressed that he had instructed American negotiators to take their time before finalising any agreement with Tehran.
“The US blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed,” Trump wrote.
“Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he added.
The statement appeared to cool speculation of an immediate diplomatic breakthrough after Trump previously claimed Washington and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding that could eventually reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Before the conflict erupted earlier this year, the strait handled nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making it one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Iranian authorities did not immediately respond to Trump’s latest remarks.
However, Iranian-linked news agency Tasnim News Agency reported that major disagreements still remain, particularly over Tehran’s demand for frozen Iranian funds to be released and the lifting of sanctions.
The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has now entered its third month, with tensions continuing over Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, and broader regional security concerns.
A senior Trump administration official told reporters that no agreement would be signed immediately, claiming Iran’s political system “does not move fast enough.”
Still, the official revealed that Iran had reportedly agreed “in principle” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade and easing pressure on Tehran.
The same official also claimed Iran had agreed in principle to dispose of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, though negotiations on how this would happen are still ongoing.
According to the official, Washington believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has already endorsed the broad framework of the proposed deal.
Iran has long denied accusations from the United States and Israel that it is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting its uranium enrichment programme is solely for civilian and energy purposes.
The proposed agreement would reportedly give negotiators 60 days to finalise details of a permanent peace framework.
Despite growing hopes of de-escalation, critics from both political parties in the United States have attacked Trump’s approach, arguing the reported deal resembles the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement brokered under former president Barack Obama — a deal Trump famously abandoned during his first term.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen were among those criticising the reported framework.
Van Hollen described the negotiations as little more than “the pre-war status quo” with Iran.
Trump, however, dismissed his critics and defended the ongoing talks.
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one,” he said in another Truth Social post.
Meanwhile, uncertainty still surrounds control of the Strait of Hormuz.
An Iranian military adviser reportedly said Tehran still has the legal right to manage the strategic waterway, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards revealed that only 33 vessels had been allowed to pass through the strait in the past 24 hours — far below the 140 ships typically seen daily before the conflict began.
Global markets reacted positively to the possibility of a ceasefire, with oil prices plunging more than four per cent on Monday amid hopes tensions could eventually ease.
Still, energy analysts warned that even if the war ends soon, full shipping capacity through the Strait of Hormuz may not return until 2027.
The conflict, which began after US-Israeli military strikes on Iran in February, has already killed thousands across the region and displaced hundreds of thousands more in neighbouring Lebanon.
