President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is “not satisfied” with the current proposals put forward by Iran to end the nearly three-month war, warning that Washington remains prepared to resume military action if ongoing negotiations fail to produce an agreement that meets its demands .
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said Iran “wants very much to make a deal” but key points of difference remain unresolved .
“They want very much to make a deal. So far they haven’t gotten there … we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Trump told reporters. “Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job” .
‘I don’t care about the midterms’
Trump dismissed suggestions that political pressure tied to the upcoming midterm elections could weaken his negotiating position, stating that Iran had hoped to “outwait” him .
“They thought they were going to outwait me,” Trump said. “I don’t care about the midterms” .
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present at the Cabinet meeting, said the coming hours and days could be crucial for progressing an agreement. He added that the US president would prefer to strike a deal, but not at any cost .
“As the president said, he’s not in a hurry; he’s not going to make a bad deal,” Rubio said earlier during his visit to India .
Two key sticking points
Strait of Hormuz: Trump made clear that any agreement must ensure the strategic waterway is open to everyone and not controlled by any single country . Iran closed the strait — through which nearly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass — when the war broke out in late February .
“We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have,” Trump said .
Nuclear program: Trump has also made obtaining Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium a key demand. Iran currently possesses 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% — according to the International Atomic Energy Agency .
However, Tehran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear program is not part of the current talks. “The issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is in no way part of our current negotiations agenda,” said Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, describing the matter as one of Tehran’s “red lines” .
Conflicting signals on deal progress
On Wednesday, Iranian state TV released what it claimed was a draft of an initial Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington, detailing provisions that would see US forces withdraw from Iran’s vicinity and the naval blockade lifted in exchange for Iran restoring commercial shipping through the Strait .
The White House Rapid Response account immediately dismissed the report, calling it “not true” and a “complete fabrication” .
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had said over the weekend that Iran and the US “have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the discussion topics,” while cautioning that “this does not mean that the signing of an agreement is imminent” .
Skepticism from Trump allies
Even within Trump’s inner circle, there is growing skepticism. Senators Roger Wicker, Lindsey Graham, and Ted Cruz have said that parts of the working proposals made public appear too favorable to Tehran, warning that the terms too closely resemble the nuclear agreement reached under the Obama administration — which Trump scrapped during his first term .
‘Great and meaningful’ or no deal
Trump has framed the choice starkly. On social media, he wrote that any agreement with Iran would either be “great and meaningful” or there would be “no deal” .
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump posted on Truth Social .
For now, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place. Trump confirmed it would “remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed” .
“Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he added .
