Trump Tempers Iran Deal Hopes as Hormuz Blockade Continues
Trump instructed negotiators not to rush an Iran deal despite progress in talks, saying the US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain until a comprehensive agreement is signed.
US President Donald Trump has cooled expectations of an immediate breakthrough with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz crisis, instructing his negotiating team not to rush toward a deal despite progress in talks between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on May 24, Trump said discussions with the Islamic Republic were advancing in what he described as an orderly and constructive manner, but that he had told his representatives to take their time, as Brussels Signal reports.
The president’s intervention marked a shift in tone from just a day earlier, when Trump had signaled that an agreement to end hostilities and reopen the strategic waterway was “largely negotiated”. His latest comments appeared designed to manage market expectations and signal that Washington would not accept a weak deal.
Trump rejects Obama-era nuclear framework
Trump sharply criticized the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear accord signed under former president Barack Obama, which had limited Iranian uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent. He characterized that agreement as having provided Iran with a direct route to developing nuclear weapons, and emphasized that his administration’s draft deal represented the opposite approach.
According to Brussels Signal, Trump insisted that Tehran must not be permitted to develop or acquire nuclear weapons capability, and urged both sides to proceed carefully. He added that there could be no room for error in the final agreement.
US blockade to remain until deal is signed
Trump made clear that the US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would stay in effect until a comprehensive agreement is finalized, certified, and formally signed. He thanked Middle Eastern governments for their cooperation and suggested that Iran might one day be invited to join the Abraham Accords, the normalization framework linking Israel with several Arab states.
Hours before his written statement, Trump had posted an AI-generated image depicting US warfighters striking Iranian naval vessels, captioned “Adios”.
Draft memorandum of understanding under discussion
News outlet Axios reported, citing a US official, that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a 60-day memorandum of understanding that would be renewable by mutual consent and extend to Lebanon. Under the draft terms, Iran would be required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without imposing tolls and to clear naval mines from the waterway, while the United States would lift its blockade—imposed in April—and allow Tehran to resume oil exports under exemptions.
More contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and the disposition of an estimated 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium held by Tehran, would be addressed in follow-on negotiations beginning approximately 30 days after the initial accord. The reported framework does not cover Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal or its support for proxy militias across the Middle East.
Rubio signals progress with Gulf partners
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in New Delhi alongside his Indian counterpart on May 23, indicated that the world could expect positive developments on both the Hormuz closure and Iran’s nuclear activities in the near term. Rubio said Washington had made tangible progress with Gulf partners over the preceding 48 hours.
Hormuz closure hits global energy supplies
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since February 28, 2026, when Iran moved to block transit in retaliation for US and Israeli airstrikes. The narrow waterway is a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, handling roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Its disruption has had severe consequences for European energy security.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has advocated for the bloc to support efforts to reopen the strait through Operation Aspides, the European Union’s naval mission currently deployed in the Red Sea. On May 22, the Council of the European Union adopted additional sanctions targeting Iran’s blockade activities.
With information from Brussels Signal
