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Trump pushes for additional changes to Iran agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has requested further modifications to a proposed ceasefire deal with Iran, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of highly enriched uranium, according to reports by CBS News and the BBC on Sunday.
Key demands and diplomatic hurdles
The White House has not commented on the latest developments, but Iranian negotiators have made it clear that Tehran will not accept any agreement that fails to fully safeguard its rights. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, stated on Sunday that Iran's conditions must be met before any deal is finalized.
Trump and his senior advisors met on Friday to assess a framework for extending the ceasefire, but the discussion ended without a clear path forward. The proposed deal, first reported by Axios, includes a 60-day halt to hostilities, a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for resuming nuclear negotiations, CBS News said.
Sanctions relief and frozen assets
If diplomacy advances, the agreement could also involve lifting some sanctions on Iran, potentially unlocking billions of dollars in frozen assets, according to CBS. However, Iran has insisted that these funds must be released before substantive nuclear talks can proceed, as reported by Iranian media.
Trump's stance and military warnings
In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News last Thursday, the president emphasized that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was his top priority. "The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons," he said, adding that he was in "no hurry" to finalize a deal.
Following Friday's meeting, a White House official reiterated that Trump would only accept an agreement that aligns with U.S. interests and his stated red lines. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking in Singapore over the weekend, warned that military strikes could resume if the deal fails to meet Trump's expectations. "Our stockpiles are more than suited for that," he said.
Iran's skepticism and ongoing negotiations
Iranian officials have expressed doubts about the White House's messaging. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that "until a clear conclusion is reached, everything that is being said now is speculation." Tasnim news agency reported that negotiations remain fluid, with both sides regularly proposing amendments.
Pakistan has been mediating the talks between U.S. and Iranian officials. CBS News reported that Sunday's requested changes mark the third round of revisions Trump has sought in the U.S. proposal.
Ceasefire in place but no formal agreement
Since the ceasefire took effect on April 8, Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal was imminent, but no formal agreement has been reached. The back-and-forth over the text continues, with both sides signaling cautious optimism while maintaining firm positions.
