Negotiations between the United States and Iran over ending the Middle East crisis have entered a critical phase, with a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room ending on Friday without a final decision from President Donald Trump.
Although Washington believes it is close to reaching an agreement with Tehran, key issues remain unresolved, most notably Iran’s nuclear programme and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The White House made clear that Trump will only accept an agreement if it is “good for America” and if the president’s “red lines” are respected. “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” a White House official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) following the meeting, which concluded without any public announcements.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that position, stating that the United States possesses vast weapons stockpiles and is “more than capable” of resuming military action against Iran.
“We are absolutely capable” of restarting military operations “if necessary,” Hegseth said, stressing that Washington remains committed to ensuring that “Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons.”
Earlier, Trump outlined six key conditions for a deal with Tehran: a commitment that Iran will not develop a nuclear bomb, the removal and destruction of enriched uranium in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the removal of transit fees, the clearing of naval mines, and no release of frozen Iranian funds “until further notice.”
Tehran responded sharply. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that “no final agreement has yet been reached,” adding that “the country rejected the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago.” He also insisted that decisions regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz should be made jointly by Iran and Oman.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, called on the United States to demonstrate genuine political will for an agreement, stating that Iran remains ready for a “dignified framework” to bring the conflict to an end.
At the same time, Israel’s announcement that its forces would advance deeper into southern Lebanon has kept the region on a dangerous escalation path, despite what the U.S. administration described as “productive” talks between military officials from the two countries at the Pentagon on Friday, the first such discussions in decades.
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