Trump claims Iran nuclear deal progress as war rages
US President Donald Trump announced that Iran has committed to completely halting any nuclear weapons development. The statement marks a pivotal juncture in ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war, AFP reports.
While the two nations appeared closer to an agreement in recent days, the New York Times reported that the US President hardened his proposal, transmitting a revised draft to Tehran.
The American publication could not confirm the specific modifications. However, according to Axios, Trump is demanding a firmer Washington stance on issues he considers personally vital, including the final disposition of Iranian nuclear materials.
In an interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, recorded earlier this week and broadcast on Fox News on Saturday, May 30, the President maintained he received explicit assurances that Tehran will not acquire nuclear weapons through manufacturing or purchase.
According to news.ro., Trump said:
The only guarantee I need is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They agreed to that, and that was very interesting. Initially they said, ‘We will not develop a nuclear weapon.' I said, 'Okay, what happens if you buy a nuclear weapon?' Now they say, 'We will not develop and we will not buy in any way a weapon. I am not in a rush, slowly but surely, I think we are getting what we want. And if we don't get what we want, things will evolve differently.
Pentagon warns of military options
On Saturday, May 30, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the United States remains "more than capable" of engaging in direct military action against Iran should diplomatic efforts collapse.
The nuclear dispute remains a primary friction point in these termination talks. The broader conflict was triggered on February 28, 2026, by a joint Israeli-American offensive against the Islamic Republic.
The United States and Israel accuse Tehran of actively seeking a nuclear arsenal, an allegation Iran consistently denies. Tehran had previously insisted on deferring nuclear discussions until after signing the memorandum of understanding currently on the table.
The war has already claimed thousands of lives while roiling global energy markets and driving crude oil prices higher.
Maritime blockades and economic standoffs
The second major geopolitical flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit corridor for global hydrocarbon trade. Iran has effectively sealed the waterway since the outbreak of hostilities, while the United States has enforced a strict naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Washington remains strictly opposed to allowing continued Iranian control over the strategic maritime pass.
US Central Command (Centcom) announced Saturday it intercepted a Gambian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to breach the blockade toward an Iranian port. The interdiction was executed via a missile strike targeting the ship's engine room.
According to Iranian maritime communications cited by the Tasnim news agency, the United States continues to systematically halt the movement of Iranian commercial vessels.
Concurrently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Sunday morning it shot down an American MQ-1 drone. The IRGC asserted the unmanned aircraft was preparing to penetrate Iranian territorial waters for "hostile operations." The US military did not immediately issue a formal response.
Frozen assets and regional escalation
Among its core diplomatic demands, Tehran is conditioning any agreement on the unfreezing of billions of dollars in state assets held by the United States.
Iranian state television reported Saturday, citing an unofficial transcript of the negotiations, that the draft memorandum of understanding stipulates the release of $12 billion (€10.7 billion / approx. 210 billion MDL) within a 60-day window.
Iran is also demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. Its regional proxy, Hezbollah, has been locked in direct combat with Israeli forces since March 2, despite an official truce enacted on April 17 that was rapidly violated.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it is actively expanding its ground operations against the pro-Iranian movement into additional sectors, following successful troop deployments across the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
