US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to abandon its nuclear ambitions and hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, stating that a deal is "very close." Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "They've totally agreed to that. They've agreed to almost everything," referring to Iran's willingness to forgo nuclear weapons. He also mentioned that Iran has agreed to relinquish its enriched uranium, which the US claims could be used to build nuclear weapons. However, Iran has not publicly confirmed these claims.
Trump also indicated that he might travel to Pakistan if a peace agreement is finalized there. "I might go, yeah. If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go," he said. The remarks come after a recent round of talks in Islamabad led by US Vice President JD Vance ended without a breakthrough. The White House has said it is considering a second round of negotiations, likely again in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, a senior Gulf official claimed that Iran is refusing to offer the concessions Trump needs to "save face and leave" the Middle East conflict. The official, familiar with ongoing negotiations, said Trump "badly wants this to end" but that Tehran has resisted giving Washington the kind of symbolic win that would allow the US president to exit the conflict on his own terms. The remarks come despite Vice President JD Vance publicly describing Washington’s proposal as its "final offer," with backchannel talks still continuing behind the scenes.
On the ground, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect, with Trump urging Hezbollah to "act nicely and well" during the truce. Iran has welcomed the pause, linking it to its broader ceasefire understanding with the United States, mediated by Pakistan. Yet tensions remain high, with Israeli strikes killing civilians in southern Lebanon just hours before the truce began and Hezbollah signaling it could resume hostilities if attacks continue.
Trump has insisted that Iran is close to agreeing to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile. However, Iran has long demanded Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium, which Tehran says it only seeks for peaceful purposes but which Western powers and Israel say is aimed at building nuclear weapons. A senior Iranian official said the two sides had started to narrow some gaps, including over how to manage the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for about 20% of the world's oil and gas needs that has been closed to most ships for weeks.
Despite Trump's optimism, recent polls reflect a more skeptical mood among American voters. An Ipsos survey found a majority believe the war has not been worth the cost, while a Quinnipiac University poll reported that 65% of voters blame Trump for rising fuel prices following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Only 36% approved of his handling of the conflict.