Trump says there is no rush for Iran deal, US blockade stays
1622 Mins Read
Donald Trump said the United States would not rush into a peace agreement with Iran, despite recent optimism surrounding negotiations aimed at easing tensions in the Gulf and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the US naval blockade on Iranian shipping through the strategic waterway would remain in place until a formal agreement was finalised and signed. He stressed that both sides needed time to “get it right”, tempering expectations of an immediate breakthrough in talks linked to the three-month conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
A senior US administration official said discussions were progressing, with Iran reportedly agreeing “in principle” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address concerns surrounding its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. In exchange, Washington would lift its naval blockade and potentially ease some sanctions. However, negotiations on nuclear measures and frozen Iranian assets remain unresolved.
Iranian-linked media claimed the United States was still resisting demands for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds. Tehran has consistently denied accusations that it is seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes.
The conflict has severely disrupted global energy markets, with oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a route responsible for around one-fifth of global oil and gas trade before the war — remaining far below normal levels. Although oil prices fell sharply amid hopes of a deal, experts warned that full shipping capacity may not return before 2027 even if hostilities end soon.
Critics in Washington, including senior Democrats and former Republican officials, argued that the emerging framework resembles the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement previously abandoned by Trump during his first presidency.
