US President Donald Trump has sent harsher peace terms back to Iran and stated he is in no rush to secure a deal, according to reports. He has reportedly requested a number of amendments to an agreement that was hammered out by US envoys and Iranian counterparts on Friday.
White House Meeting and Amendments
Trump met with advisers on Friday but has yet to decide whether to move ahead with a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies. Iran has said the deal has not been finalised. Axios reports that during a Friday meeting in the White House situation room, Trump asked his team to amend clauses regarding the Iranian nuclear programme, according to two US officials cited as sources.
Currently, a memorandum of understanding includes a commitment from Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, with no specific concessions beyond the memorandum. It also stipulates a 60-day period to negotiate US sanctions relief and Iranian nuclear commitments. One of the major issues is how to limit further uranium enrichment and eliminate Iran's current stockpile. Trump hopes to amend this part of the deal, as well as some wording around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Administration and Trump Statements
A Trump administration official said: "There will be a deal. The imminence of it, we'll see. 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. At the turn of the week, we hope to have something."
In a Fox News interview, Trump told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump: "Slowly but surely, we're getting, I think, what we want. I'd like to say I'm in a hurry, because you know what, gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down, but if you're going to be in a hurry, you're not going to make a good deal."
Ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz Situation
A fragile ceasefire has held since April 7. Events in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman have shaken the global economy, with significant shipments of oil, natural gas, and related supplies like fertiliser largely stranded, increasing strain on consumers and food producers. The US blockade seeks to limit Iran's own shipments and further weaken its access to cash, creating more pain for its long-weakened economy.
Commercial traffic has quietly continued to flow through the strait, despite Iran's assertions that it must approve any transits, though at a much lower volume than before the conflict. Iran's joint military command warned on Saturday in a statement carried by state TV: "Any violation of these regulations will place the security of their passage at serious risk," adding that any military vessels trying to interfere would be targeted. Iran has charged tolls as high as $2 million (£1.5 million), which experts have called a violation of the principle of freedom of peaceful navigation in international maritime trade.
Qatar's deputy prime minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, said on Saturday that the Gulf nation opposes charging fees to transit, "but for certain times when they say they are going to use it for mine clearing or some usage of the fees for a temporary time, this is something that is negotiable, and it could be something that will help the transit of the Strait of Hormuz to be back to normal stage."
