Trump says negotiators should not “rush” despite indications of progress in Iran talks

WASHINGTON, May 25 — US President Donald Trump has tempered expectations of a Middle East agreement, saying yesterday he instructed negotiators not to “rush,” even as Tehran and Washington signal progress toward a deal aimed at ending the war.

The United States and Iran have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while mediators work toward a negotiated settlement, though Iran has imposed restrictions on Gulf shipping and the US has blockaded Iranian ports.

The conflict began after US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic on February 28, prompting Iran to launch missile and drone attacks across the region.

“I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal as time is on our side,” Trump said in a social media post yesterday.

“The blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed,” he added.

Earlier, Trump had said the deal was “largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the various other countries.”

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported yesterday that key elements of a possible agreement remain “unresolved at this time,” including the issue of frozen Iranian assets.

Nuclear issue

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times that while the agreement has regional backing, a nuclear deal cannot be finalised “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.”

“Right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region endorsing this approach, and we’re prepared to move forward,” he said.

Rubio had earlier suggested a deal could be reached as soon as yesterday.

However, Trump again moderated expectations, posting that “If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one,” adding: “It isn’t even fully negotiated yet.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, said he and the president agreed that “any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely.”

‘Lasting peace’

Iranian officials confirmed a draft agreement exists but said discussions on its nuclear programme have been postponed for 60 days after any deal, despite long-standing US demands to end uranium enrichment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains “still prepared to assure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons,” though it remains unclear whether this pledge will be included in the final text.

According to Iran’s Fars news agency, sanctions on oil, gas, petrochemicals and related products would be temporarily lifted during negotiations to allow Iran to resume exports.

Leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, along with representatives from Turkey and Pakistan, joined a call with Trump on Saturday to discuss the deal.

Pakistan, which facilitated earlier face-to-face talks between US and Iranian delegations in April, hopes to host another round “very soon,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

He added that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, who visited Tehran over the weekend, also joined the call, which he said “provided a useful opportunity… to advance ongoing peace efforts toward lasting stability in the region.”

‘Back into chaos’

Meanwhile, Israel’s military continued strikes on what it says are Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon despite an April 17 ceasefire that has been violated by both sides.

Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the conflict by attacking Israel on March 2 following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

Rubio accused Hezbollah of attempting to push Lebanon “back into chaos” and condemned what he called the group’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government.”

He was responding to remarks by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, who said “the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government” in response to Israeli strikes and US sanctions on Al-Qard Al-Hassan, an interest-free lending institution serving Shia Muslims. — AFP