Trump says Iran talks are close as deal remains unsigned

Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely” and that the two sides were “getting a lot closer,” but no agreement had been formalized by Monday night. The public optimism masked how much still separated the parties, even as Trump said he had canceled a U.S. attack on Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday after pressure from the emir of Qatar, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the president of the United Arab Emirates.

The emerging framework described by U.S. officials and others was a two-step process. First, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and some Iranian assets held in foreign banks would be unfrozen. Only after that would the sides turn to how Iran would dispose of highly enriched uranium and settle other nuclear issues. A senior Trump administration official said there was broad commitment on the principles of a deal, and the White House projected confidence about where the talks stood.

That confidence still left the hardest questions unanswered. Verification of any commitment, the scope of sanctions relief, the limits on Iran’s enrichment program and any regional security guarantees all remained unsettled. Those gaps matter because “close” in this case does not mean signed, enforced or durable. It means the parties have moved far enough to keep talking, but not far enough to lock in the concessions that would prevent a reversal.

Iran, for its part, was still reviewing the latest U.S. proposal and had not accepted claims that it had agreed to give up its enriched uranium stockpile. Pakistan has been acting as a mediator, with Iranian and U.S. officials using Pakistani channels, and an Iranian delegation was reported in Doha on Monday for further discussions. That made Pakistan a central conduit at a moment when neither Washington nor Tehran appeared ready to meet face to face on final terms.

The stakes extend beyond the nuclear file. The talks are tied to the risk of renewed strikes and to the strategic weight of the Strait of Hormuz, where any disruption can ripple through global energy markets. Trump has warned that if no agreement is reached, the alternative could be more attacks, underscoring how easily a diplomatic opening could give way to a wider confrontation if either side decides the price is too high.