US President Donald Trump emerged from a two-hour White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday without any final decision on a potential agreement to end the war with Iran, despite the risk of global energy market instability and a decline in his approval ratings ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The meeting took place amid mutual accusations between Washington and Tehran of ceasefire violations. With no conclusive outcome, the resolution of ongoing tensions between the two countries remains hanging.
A senior administration official told The New York Times that while a deal appears possible, several critical issues – including the release of Iranian funds – are still under discussion and detailed analysis.
The White House said in a statement that Trump would only sign an agreement that protects American interests and meets US conditions. The statement also made clear that Iran will never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Before the meeting, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was convening the meeting to reach a final decision on a potential ceasefire. However, no signs of a breakthrough have emerged due to both sides’ entrenched positions on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Trump outlined a framework demanding that Iran remove all mines from the Strait of Hormuz. In exchange, the US would lift its naval blockade to allow commercial shipping to resume. Additionally, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be located and destroyed.
In response to Iran’s demand for the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen assets, Trump made clear that no financial transactions would take place until further notice.
Key US demands include Iran halting uranium enrichment and transferring its stockpiles to another country, as well as clearing and reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for 20 percent of the world’s oil – within 30 days.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei struck a different tone in an interview with state television IRIB TV, stating that no agreement has been finalised yet but that messages are being exchanged between the two sides.
“Iran’s current primary goal is to stop the war, and there is no opportunity at this moment to discuss details of uranium enrichment,” Baghaei said.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he made clear that its future management is solely an internal matter for Iran and Oman. Expressing distrust of the United States, he signalled that Iran would not bow to pressure.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, commented on social media that his country secures its demands through the power of missiles, not negotiation, and that Iran would make no concessions before seeing tangible action from the other side.
Iran’s key demands include the release of approximately $24 billion in frozen assets held abroad, 12 billion to be released immediately upon the announcement of any agreement. Iran has also demanded the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as specific US guarantees on the durability of any agreement.
The deep mistrust stems from the US unilateral withdrawal from the historic 2015 nuclear deal during Trump’s first term. Although a fragile ceasefire was reached on 8 April, both sides have accused each other of attacks and violations in and around the Strait of Hormuz this week, further complicating the situation.
