WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump held an extraordinary, two-hour session with his top national security advisers in the White House Situation Room on Friday, seeking to make what he termed a “final determination” on a highly volatile, tentative peace deal with Iran.
The high-level huddle followed frantic, back-channel negotiations in Qatar, where U.S. and Iranian emissaries reportedly ironed out a draft framework to pause the three-month-old war in West Asia. However, despite intense diplomatic momentum to extend a fragile seven-week ceasefire by an additional 60 days, the White House wrapped up the meeting without an immediate presidential signature, signaling that immense hurdles remain.
"President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines," a senior administration official stated on the condition of anonymity following the adjournment. "Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."
The Anatomy of the Interim Deal
The multi-phased framework, hashed out mid-week in Doha, seeks to defuse an international economic and military crisis that erupted three months ago following heavy U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure. According to regional officials familiar with the draft memorandum, the agreement hinges on several critical phase-in steps over the next 30 to 60 days:
The Shipping Bottleneck: Iran must completely reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a crucial maritime corridor responsible for the transit of one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply. Tehran would have 30 days to clear all sea mines dropped during the hostlities and is explicitly barred from enforcing shipping tolls.
The Maritime Quid Pro Quo: In exchange, the United States would gradually stand down its aggressive naval blockade of Iranian ports and relax crippling economic sanctions, unlocking frozen Iranian assets to permit commercial oil and petrochemical transport.
The 440-Kilogram Problem: The proposed 60-day window would mandate immediate, intensive negotiations regarding the fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran currently holds a massive inventory of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity—a narrow technical step from the 90% threshold required to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Taking to social media ahead of the Situation Room gathering, President Trump signaled an uncompromising stance on the nuclear file. He insisted that Iran’s advanced enrichment stockpiles "will be unearthed by the United States... and DESTROYED" under strict international supervision, adding bluntly that "no money will be exchanged, until further notice."
Combative Rhetoric and Internal Friction
The path forward is complicated by hardliners in both capitals, flashing deep-seated distrust that threatens to collapse the framework entirely.
In Tehran, chief Iranian negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf openly scoffed at Western guarantees. Writing on social media following the Qatar talks, Qalibaf declared, "No step will be taken before the other side acts... We do not gain concessions through talks, but through missiles." He added warningly, "The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war the day after it is signed." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei later tempered expectations, confirming to state media that the deal remains incomplete.
Simultaneously, Trump is navigating rare, intense pushback from hawkish members of his own political inner circle. Prominent conservative voices, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have publicly slammed the rumored concessions. Pompeo characterized the prospective deal as "not remotely America First," drawing unfavorable parallels to the 2015 Obama-era nuclear pact (the JCPOA), which Trump famously tore up during his first term.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the friction but strongly defended the administration’s leverage, framing the negotiations as a historic opportunity.
"We’re in a position where we could substantially set back their nuclear program, not just during the term of this president but over the long term," Vance noted publicly. "That's a very, very good thing for the American people."
On Saturday morning, speaking from the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the ongoing deliberations as "productive," noting that Iran appeared to be "coming in our direction." Hegseth emphasized that ensuring an open, toll-free strait remains a paramount global interest, though he re-confirmed that the U.S. military presence in the region remains fully locked and loaded should the diplomatic track disintegrate.
Comparing U.S.–Iran Flashpoints
The current crisis represents a sharp departure from past diplomatic framework models, shifting from non-proliferation pacts to high-stakes wartime crisis management.
