US President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he would meet in the “Situation Room” to make a “final decision” after outlining a set of conditions that Iran must accept before he approves an agreement to end the war.
It was not immediately clear from Trump’s statement on Truth Social which of his key demands had already been incorporated into the preliminary agreement currently being negotiated by US and Iranian officials to end the three-month conflict.
Trump demanded that Iran agree never to possess a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz be “opened immediately” to shipping traffic without any restrictions or transit fees.
He also stated that the US naval blockade against Iran in the Gulf of Oman “will be lifted now,” although it was unclear whether he meant that this step would occur only if the previous conditions were met.
Trump added that the enriched material buried at sites targeted during last year’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities “will be extracted” by the United States “in close coordination and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency,” before being destroyed.
He also said: “No funds will be exchanged until further notice,” adding that “other less important provisions have been agreed upon.”
Trump concluded by saying: “I am now heading to the Situation Room to make the final decision.”
Oil prices fell following Trump’s post.
Disagreements over the agreement’s text
The exact terms of the agreement remain unclear. Later on Friday, Iran’s Fars News Agency responded to Trump’s statement, saying it included issues that “contradict the provisions of the agreement text.”
The agency said in a Telegram post, citing informed sources, that there is no clause in the agreement requiring the strait to remain open without fees.
It also stated that the draft agreement contains no reference to Iran dismantling or destroying its nuclear materials.
Fars emphasized that “the most important part of the agreement” is the “immediate payment of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets,” adding that Iran will reject any further negotiations unless that payment is made.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment regarding Trump’s remarks and the Fars response.
A White House official had confirmed on Thursday an Axios report stating that US and Iranian negotiators had reached a 60-day memorandum of understanding that would extend the current ceasefire and open the door to nuclear talks.
According to the report, the memorandum would also lift restrictions on navigation through the strait and require Iran to remove all mines from the waterway within 30 days in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade.
The issue of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and enrichment program would be a top priority during the 60-day period, according to the Axios report. The draft is also expected to pave the way for negotiations on sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds.
The status of the Strait of Hormuz
Trump’s recent signals suggesting progress toward a US-Iran peace agreement contrast with continued military and economic escalation between the two countries, as well as ongoing anti-American rhetoric from Iranian officials.
The Pentagon announced Thursday morning that Iran had launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait and deployed attack drones in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media also reported late Thursday that Iranian armed forces launched missiles toward undisclosed targets.
The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Iran on Wednesday and Thursday, including measures targeting Tehran’s recent efforts to assert control over transit traffic through the strait.
In posts on X before Trump’s Friday remarks, Iranian officials appeared defiant toward the United States, praising relations with neighboring Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, which has recently been the subject of Trump’s threats.
According to reports, Oman has been holding discussions with Iran regarding transit fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital global oil shipping route where traffic has been severely disrupted by Iranian threats since the outbreak of the war.
During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said: “Oman will behave like everyone else, or we’ll have to bomb them.”
On Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Oman that the United States would “aggressively target” any party involved in “facilitating the imposition of fees” on passage through the strait.
In a translated post on X attributed to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Friday morning, a vague but sharply worded description of the negotiations was offered.
The account wrote: “We extract concessions not through dialogue but through missiles; negotiations merely make them understand that.”
It added: “We do not trust guarantees or words. Actions alone are the standard. No step will be taken before the other side moves.”
The statement continued: “The winner of any agreement is the side most prepared for war the next day.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had spoken with his Omani counterpart and “reaffirmed Iran’s solidarity with Oman in the face of any threat.”
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