Trump says no rush on Iran deal, no nuclear compromise

2026-05-24

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media on the 24th that he had told his negotiating team not to rush a deal in talks to end fighting with Iran. He reiterated his stance that he would not allow Iran to develop or obtain nuclear weapons, showing no willingness to compromise.

Hard line on nuclear issue

Trump wrote that 'both sides need to take their time and do it right. There can be no mistakes.' While saying dialogue with Iran had become 'productive,' he urged that 'they must understand that they cannot develop or obtain nuclear weapons.'

Just a day earlier, on the 23rd, he had said talks were finished on most of the deal's terms and that 'an announcement will be made soon.' Even so, given the wide gap that still exists between the U.S. and Iran on the nuclear issue, he appears to have shifted to a more cautious stance on an early agreement.

Gap remains on the Strait of Hormuz

Trump also said the U.S. military would continue blocking ships entering and leaving Iranian ports until a formal agreement is reached and signed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on social media on the 24th that he and Trump agreed any final deal with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat. He said this means dismantling Iran's uranium enrichment facilities and removing highly enriched uranium from the country.

Fox News reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that if Iran makes concessions on enriched uranium, Washington is also ready to make major concessions through sanctions relief.

Meanwhile, comments suggesting a deal was close have been coming thick and fast. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a news conference in India on the 24th that 'there has been significant progress. We may have good news soon.' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also said a memorandum toward ending fighting with the U.S. was being 'finalized.'

The U.S. news site Axios reported on the 23rd that officials were considering a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set a 60-day ceasefire period to continue negotiations on the nuclear issue. The two sides appeared to be leaning toward shelving the deeply divided nuclear question for the time being and prioritizing an end to fighting.

However, while both sides were stressing 'progress,' there was little detailed explanation about the nuclear issue or the Strait of Hormuz. Even if they reach a broad agreement on ending the fighting, concerns remain that the deal could become hollow if the parties remain far apart on issues on which neither side is willing to уступить.

Lingering flashpoints on nuclear and strait issues

On the nuclear issue, Trump has repeatedly said since the fighting began in February that 'Iran will never get nuclear weapons.' To that end, he had advocated taking Iran's remaining highly enriched uranium out of the country and imposing a nuclear development freeze for about 20 years.

Iran, by contrast, is trying to preserve its uranium enrichment capability and put this issue off. There may be strong opposition within Iran to any U.S. effort to remove the uranium. Reuters reported on the 21st, citing an Iranian official, that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had instructed that the highly enriched uranium not be taken out of the country.

Positions also diverge over the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on the 23rd, Trump said that 'the Strait of Hormuz will be open,' but Fars News, which is close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, immediately reported that this was 'not true.' It said Iran would retain control of the strait even after a deal.

With November's midterm elections in view, Trump wants to end the fighting quickly, lower oil prices and show results to the American public. But without any clear path to resolving the nuclear and Strait of Hormuz issues, criticism of 'easy compromise' will be hard to avoid, and he continues to face a situation in which he cannot move forward with an agreement.

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