WASHINGTON — The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump is nearing a pivotal decision regarding a potential peace agreement with Iran. However, Washington issued a stern warning on Saturday, asserting it remains "more than capable" of restarting military operations if Tehran fails to meet specific American demands.
The warning follows statements from President Trump emphasizing that any diplomatic breakthrough must respect strict U.S. "red lines," chief among them a permanent guarantee that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons.
While American officials noted that a draft agreement is currently awaiting the President’s final signature, no official decision was reached following a high-level briefing in the White House Situation Room on Friday. Meanwhile, Tehran has publicly downplayed the imminence of a deal, denying that a final consensus has been achieved.
High Stakes and Regional Vigilance
Speaking from a defense summit in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reinforced Washington's firm stance, stating that the American military is fully prepared to resume hostilities if negotiations collapse. Affirming this posture, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) confirming that American forces "remain present and vigilant across the region."
The diplomatic push comes amid ongoing volatile exchanges. Earlier this week, U.S. airstrikes targeted the strategic Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, drawing retaliatory fire from Iran. On Saturday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that the military had downed a drone belonging to what it termed the "US-Zionist aggressor enemy."
Despite the friction, diplomatic channels remain open. Negotiations are also attempting to address the conflict in Lebanon—a theater Iran insists must be included in any broader peace framework.
Clashing Conditions and Conflicting Narratives
The path to an agreement faces significant hurdles due to starkly contrasting demands from both sides. President Trump outlined his core expectations on social media, which include:
Nuclear Disarmament: The joint removal and destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium.
Maritime Freedom: The immediate unblocking and toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the removal of Iranian naval mines.
Sanctions Relief: The lifting of the U.S. naval blockade once conditions are met, with Trump noting that "no money will be exchanged, until further notice."
Iranian officials quickly pushed back against these terms. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed the American rhetoric, stating that the Islamic Republic "said goodbye to the language of 'must' 47 years ago." While Baqaei acknowledged that message exchanges are ongoing, he reiterated that nothing has been finalized.
Domestically, Iranian media outlets have challenged Trump's claims. The Fars news agency reported that Tehran is demanding the immediate release of $12 billion before proceeding to subsequent negotiation phases. Furthermore, Iranian sources rejected claims regarding the destruction of nuclear material as "baseless" and denied that a toll-free clause for the Strait of Hormuz exists in the current draft.
Compounding the tension, Iranian lawmaker Alireza Salimi stated that parliament would soon review a plan to reassert Iran's absolute sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, even as Tasnim news agency noted that the U.S. blockade remains active and enforced by CENTCOM.
The Lebanese Front
As diplomats negotiate, regional violence persists. In southern Lebanon, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for seven villages on Saturday following comments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli forces are advancing deeper into the territory.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to emphasize the critical need for an immediate ceasefire. Although a formal truce between Israel and the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah was technically enacted on April 17, it has been systematically violated by both sides.
The current escalation stems from early March, when Hezbollah launched rocket volleys into Israel following the joint U.S.-Israeli assassination of Iran's supreme leader, triggering a massive Israeli counter-offensive and subsequent ground invasion. Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon began in April, with a fourth round of negotiations scheduled for next week.
