The White House is once again pushing the finish line farther down the track after President Donald Trump boasted about closing in on a peace deal with Iran.
Trump officials were busy buying themselves more time to finally put an end to the heavily criticized war, that the president started almost three months ago, by revealing a 60-day window for a final agreement.
On Saturday, the president announced that “an agreement has been largely negotiated” and that “final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.”
However, a senior Trump official poured cold water on the idea of an imminent breakthrough on Sunday, saying the toughest sticking points—including ones that have stalled talks for weeks—are still being ironed out.
“We are not there yet,” the official told reporters, according to Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany. “We are not going to sign a deal today,” or “tomorrow,” the official reportedly said.
In the end, the official said, it could take “five, six, seven days” to reach a deal, according to McEnany. The official also claimed that Iran has “agreed in principle to the framework” and that the deal is “95 percent” done.
Meanwhile, a second senior Trump official told reporters the proposed framework would set a 60-day window for negotiators to reach a final agreement, according to Reuters’ Phil Stewart, effectively giving the president another two months to secure a peace deal.
Trump, 79, himself also appeared to be hitting the brakes on Sunday, writing on Truth Social, “Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!”
“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump had initially said he intended the war to last four to six weeks. Since then, he has repeatedly issued bombastic threats toward Iran before extending his own deadlines for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept U.S. terms for peace.
Just last Sunday, Trump threatened, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
The first official said that the deal includes agreements regarding Iran’s “nuclear stockpile” and “the Strait of Hormuz,” but that they are still haggling over the wording, according to McEnany.
“We don’t have a deal until there is a deal,” the official reportedly said.
The official said the deal hinges on a “No Dust, No Dollars” rule, under which Iran would receive no sanctions relief unless it fully relinquishes its enriched uranium.
But Iran has not publicly committed to giving up its uranium.
The details of the deal have not yet been revealed, but it would likely involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed early in March. The waterway’s closure has resulted in global economic turmoil as oil prices have skyrocketed. The war has also claimed the lives of 13 American service members and injured hundreds more.
The war has also sparked a political crisis for the president. A New York Times/Siena poll found that 64 percent of Americans believe Trump made the wrong decision in launching his war on Iran, while 65 percent disapprove of how he has handled it. His overall approval rating hit a record low of 37 percent.
But some in the GOP are worried that Trump isn’t taking a hard enough line with Iran as he tries to wrap up the conflict, which is now entering its 12th week.
“We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy,” Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker declared in a statement on X. “His instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill-advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on. Our commander-in-chief needs to allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait.”
Meanwhile, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he was “deeply concerned” about the deal in a post on X.
“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime—still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’—now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake,” he wrote.
Trump hit back on Sunday, writing on Truth Social, “So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about,” he continued. “Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals!”
