U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Iran has agreed to cease any development of nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran has previously cast doubt on. The two nations remain far apart on their key priorities, despite ongoing negotiations.
Trump's Assertions and Iran's Response
In an interview broadcast on Fox News, Trump told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, "The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting." However, Iranian officials have repeatedly dismissed such claims, calling them baseless. Iran insists on the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before engaging in substantive talks on its nuclear program.
New Proposal and Stalled Talks
Reports from The New York Times and Axios indicate that Trump has sent a revised framework to Iran with tougher terms, though details remain unclear. Trump has emphasized that any deal must prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Despite earlier optimism, Trump struck a less urgent tone, stating, "I'm in no hurry. Slowly but surely we're getting, I think, what we want, and if we don't get what we want, we're going to end in a different way."
Continued Tensions and Military Flare-Ups
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth warned at a defense summit in Asia that Washington is "more than capable" of restarting the war if necessary. Although daily strikes have ceased since a temporary ceasefire in April, sporadic conflicts persist. Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly shot down a U.S. military drone near its territorial waters, an incident unconfirmed by the U.S. Earlier, the worst fighting since the ceasefire occurred when U.S. forces struck the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, prompting retaliatory fire from Iran.
Tehran has also insisted that Lebanon must be included in any end to the war, accusing Israel of a "scorched-earth policy" as it continues airstrikes against Hezbollah. The path to a formal agreement remains fraught with challenges, as both sides hold firm on their demands.
