US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had instructed US representatives not to rush into a deal with Iran, signalling that negotiations between the two sides may take longer despite recent indications of progress.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would remain fully in effect until a formal agreement is reached, certified and signed.
While describing ongoing negotiations as increasingly professional and productive, Trump stressed that both sides needed to proceed carefully. “Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes,” he wrote.
A day earlier, Trump had said Washington and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that previously handled nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
However, it remains unclear whether the agreement under discussion refers only to an initial framework or a broader and more complicated peace settlement that could take significantly longer to finalise.
The two countries continue to differ on several major issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, the lifting of US sanctions, and the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian oil revenues held abroad.
Iranian media reports suggested that a proposed memorandum could eventually lead to the easing of restrictions on Iranian shipping and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively restricted during the conflict by threatening commercial vessels.
According to a senior Iranian source cited by Reuters, any proposed agreement would require approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council before being sent to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that disagreements still remain over certain clauses of the draft understanding, warning that no final agreement would be possible if the United States continued to create obstacles.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said discussions had moved toward reducing disputes but acknowledged that unresolved issues still require mediation.
The proposed framework reportedly includes three stages: formally ending the conflict, resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and opening a 30-day negotiation period for a wider agreement that could later be extended.
Any durable agreement would likely provide relief to global energy markets, which have been heavily affected by the conflict. However, industry analysts say normal shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz may not fully recover before 2027.
Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a central US objective. Iran, however, continues to deny pursuing nuclear weapons and insists its uranium enrichment programme is intended for civilian purposes only.
