Trump vows Iran blockade until deal signed

Synopsis

In a recent statement, US President Donald Trump conveyed optimism over the negotiations with Iran for a new nuclear agreement, highlighting that discussions are moving forward in a positive direction. He insisted that the blockade will remain intact until a final agreement is officially signed.

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US President Donald Trump on Sunday said negotiations with Iran on a new nuclear agreement were proceeding in an “orderly and constructive manner” but cautioned his representatives against rushing, saying time was on Washington’s side. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the blockade would stay in place until a deal is reached, certified, and signed.

“There can be no mistakes,” Trump said, adding that he had instructed his team not to hurry. He also reiterated the US position that Iran cannot be allowed to develop or procure a nuclear weapon under any circumstances.

Also read: ‘End of 50 years of insecurity’: Iran claims legal authority to manage Hormuz Strait

Trump sharply contrasted the current negotiations with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling it “one of the worst deals ever made” and a “direct path to Iran developing a nuclear weapon.” Under the Obama-era JCPOA, the US along with China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom lifted economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits to its nuclear programme. Trump pulled the US out of that deal in 2018, arguing it only delayed rather than prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Even as the United States and Iran edge closer to a peace framework, Tehran has asserted that managing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is its “legal right,” with a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader saying such control would end decades of instability in the Gulf.

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said Iran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz was Tehran’s legal right to ensure national security, adding that it would end 50 years of insecurity in the Persian Gulf.

The remarks come as US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Washington and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that could reopen the strait after months of conflict. “Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a post on X, said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and upcoming nuclear negotiations with Iran, stressing that any final agreement must dismantle Iran’s enrichment sites and remove all enriched material from Iranian territory.

He said Trump reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself on every front, including Lebanon, and that the two leaders were aligned on a core red line, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.

Also read: LNG tanker exits Hormuz for India for first time since war began

According to multiple US and Iranian media reports, the proposed memorandum outlines a framework to end months of fighting, reopen the waterway, and potentially ease restrictions on Iranian shipping. Reports said the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be negotiated separately within 30 to 60 days.

Despite growing expectations of a breakthrough, key disagreements persist. Iranian media indicated differences remained over “one or two clauses” in the proposed memorandum, with Tehran warning there would be no final understanding if Washington continued to create obstacles. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the overall trend had been toward reducing disputes, though “issues still need to be discussed through mediators.”

Iran’s parliament has also finalized a separate plan for the “security and development” of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which would ban entry of vessels from hostile countries and any military vessels under any pretext.