The United States and Iran have achieved significant progress on a framework agreement designed to end their recent conflict and restore commercial access to the Strait of Hormuz, senior officials indicated on Sunday.
President Donald Trump confirmed that negotiations with Iran are well advanced but stressed the need for caution. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that both sides “must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes,” adding that the emerging relationship with Iran is becoming “much more professional and productive.” He reiterated that Iran must not develop or procure a nuclear weapon and described the prospective deal as “the exact opposite” of the Obama administration’s agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “significant progress, although not final progress has been made.” He underscored that the core objective remains preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, declaring, “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. Certainly not as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States.”
A senior Trump administration official told reporters that no agreement would be signed on Sunday, citing the slower pace of the Iranian system. The official outlined the current contours of the proposed framework: Iran has agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in return for the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade and measures to dispose of Tehran’s highly enriched uranium.
The anticipated deal would initially take the form of a Memorandum of Understanding, triggering a 60-day negotiation window to resolve remaining complex issues. These include the method for handling Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles — whether through dilution inside Iran or full removal — the involvement of the International Atomic Energy Agency, sanctions relief, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
President Trump has insisted the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports will stay fully in effect until a deal is formally reached, certified, and signed. The blockade, involving around 15,000 U.S. personnel, has already redirected more than 100 ships, disabled 14 vessels, and permitted 24 humanitarian shipments through, according to U.S. Central Command figures.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly 20% of global oil shipments, is a central pillar of the talks. Once operational, it would allow pent-up oil flows to resume and potentially unlock new production capacity, particularly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed he spoke with President Trump about the memorandum and future negotiations. Netanyahu thanked Trump for his strong support of Israel’s security and emphasized that any final agreement must fully eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat by dismantling enrichment sites and removing enriched nuclear material from Iranian territory. He reaffirmed, “Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”
Phil Stewart, Reuters’ Chief National Security Reporter, observed that statements from Washington reflect the most optimistic tone to date. However, Iranian responses, particularly from Tasnim news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps, have been markedly more cautious and skeptical. Several key sticking points, especially sanctions relief and the details of uranium disposal, could still affect the path forward.
U.S. officials have also floated potential broader regional gains, including a possible expansion of the Abraham Accords through new normalization agreements between Israel and Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia.
Despite the positive momentum, both sides continue to tread carefully following recent military exchanges. The framework aims to ease the U.S. blockade in tandem with Iran loosening its hold on the strait, but risks of miscalculation remain during the transition period.
