Trump Tightens Terms on Iran Peace Deal, Sends Revised Framework to Tehran as Negotiations Drag On

Trump's Last-Minute Demands

President Donald Trump convened his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Friday but made no final decision on a peace proposal with Iran, instead requesting multiple changes to the draft text. According to Axios and The New York Times, Trump sought to reinforce provisions concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the disposition of Iran's nuclear material. A senior US official told Axios that Trump wanted "greater precision" on how and when the United States would obtain Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.

They're literally in caves, and they're not using email.

The revised framework has been sent back to Tehran for consideration, with officials estimating it could take approximately three days for Iran to respond. The official added that the timeline remains uncertain: "We're willing to wait so the president gets what he asks for. It could be a week. It could be less. It could be more."

The Proposed Deal Structure

The draft agreement, described as a "memorandum of understanding," would establish a 60-day period following signature during which the parties would negotiate Iran's nuclear commitments and the lifting of international sanctions. The first item on the agenda would be managing Iran's enriched uranium reserves and imposing limits on future enrichment processes. Trump's priorities for any deal include Iran agreeing never to develop nuclear weapons and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply transited before the war.

Trump's Public Posture

In an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, recorded Thursday and broadcast Saturday evening on Fox News, the president insisted he is in no rush to conclude an agreement. "Slowly but surely we are getting, I think, what we want, and if we don't get what we want, we'll end it another way," Trump said. He claimed to have received assurances that Tehran will not acquire nuclear weapons, either by producing them or purchasing them.

The only guarantee I need is that there will be no nuclear weapon. They agreed to that, and that was very interesting.

Trump also linked a potential deal to domestic economic relief, stating that gasoline prices would "drop sharply" once an agreement is reached.

Iran's Counter-Demands

Tehran has pushed back on Trump's characterizations, with Iranian media disputing his claims that their enriched uranium had been destroyed. Iran has insisted on the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before advancing substantive talks on its nuclear program. Additionally, Tehran demands that Lebanon be included in any agreement to end the war, following what Beirut has described as an Israeli "scorched earth policy" in its conflict with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement. On Saturday, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that foreign vessels would be targeted if they did not comply with passage regulations.

Military Posture and Regional Escalation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared on Saturday at a security summit in Singapore that the United States is "more than capable" of resuming war against Iran should negotiations fail. The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced Sunday that its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon is "expanding to other areas," with Israeli forces capturing the Beaufort fortress. The fragile unilateral ceasefire declared by Trump has been tested by repeated limited attacks around Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

We are more than capable of fighting again if necessary.