United States President Donald Trump has requested changes to a proposed agreement with Iran, extending negotiations and delaying a final decision on a deal aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, Trump returned the draft agreement after meeting with top advisers on Friday. While details of the revisions were not disclosed, sources said the president is seeking stronger language on Iran’s nuclear obligations and guarantees regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump is also said to be concerned about any financial incentives that could be included in the agreement. Officials noted that he wants to avoid comparisons with the Obama-era nuclear deal, which he has repeatedly criticized as too lenient toward Tehran.
The latest developments come just a week after Trump described the agreement as “largely finalized” and suggested that an end to hostilities was near.
Since then, U.S. officials have continued to express optimism about the talks, saying progress has been made toward restoring access to the strategic waterway and laying the groundwork for broader discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, despite Trump’s indication that he would make a final decision during Friday’s White House meeting, the two-hour session ended without a conclusion.
In a social media post ahead of the meeting, Trump stated that the United States would take control of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and oversee its destruction. Iranian officials, however, have consistently maintained that discussions over the country’s nuclear programme are not part of the current negotiations.
Another point of disagreement centres on financial compensation. Trump insisted there had been no talks about providing money to Iran as part of the deal, while Tehran has repeatedly argued that economic relief must be included in any agreement.
With both sides still divided on key issues, negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days as diplomats work to bridge the remaining gaps.
Earlier reports by Axios and The New York Times also indicated that Trump had requested significant revisions to the proposed agreement before giving his approval.
