Either we reach a good deal or I'll blow them to a thousand hells
In the long and fractured history of American-Iranian relations, a moment of potential turning has arrived — brokered not by the two adversaries alone, but through a web of mediating nations stretching from Islamabad to Ankara to the Gulf. Donald Trump announced Sunday that a peace framework with Iran is nearly complete, centered on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a 60-day ceasefire, and the resumption of nuclear talks — a convergence of interests that, if it holds, could ease global energy fears and end a war that began in February. Yet the distance between a leader's announcement and a signed agreement remains vast, and Iran's own silence on the terms is a reminder that in diplomacy, what is claimed and what is real are not always the same thing.
- Trump declared a US-Iran peace deal 'largely negotiated,' raising global hopes — and immediate skepticism — with Iran's state media calling his claims 'inconsistent with reality.'
- The Strait of Hormuz, closed since February and carrying one-fifth of the world's oil, sits at the heart of the crisis, its continued blockage driving energy prices upward and rattling the global economy.
- Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are all actively mediating, with Islamabad offering to host the next round of talks — a rare multilateral diplomatic mobilization around a US-Iran confrontation.
- The proposed deal would unlock $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, end the war, and require a halt to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon — but a regional official warned 'last-minute disputes' could still collapse the framework.
- Even within Trump's own circle, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the emerging terms as rewarding Iran's Revolutionary Guard, signaling that internal opposition could complicate final acceptance.
- On the ground, Israeli strikes continued to hit Lebanon despite an existing ceasefire, destroying a civil defence facility in Nabatieh — a reminder that diplomacy and violence are, for now, running in parallel.
Donald Trump announced Sunday that a peace agreement with Iran had been substantially worked out, following phone calls with leaders across the Middle East and with Pakistani mediators shepherding the negotiations. In a Truth Social post, he said the final details of what he called a Memorandum of Understanding were still being resolved but would be released soon. At its center, he said, would be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes, which Tehran had effectively closed since the conflict began in February.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking after Trump's announcement, said his country hoped to host the next round of talks between Washington and Tehran within days. He had been on a call that morning with Trump and the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan. Turkish President Erdoğan said he believed workable solutions could be found on the nuclear question and that Turkey stood ready to support any implementation phase.
The proposed deal, according to US and Pakistani officials, would unfold in stages: a 60-day ceasefire during which Iran would clear mines from the Strait and allow shipping to resume, while the US lifted its blockade on Iranian ports. Nuclear negotiations would begin within that window. Three senior Iranian officials told the New York Times the agreement could also unlock roughly $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets and formally end the war — including the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.
Yet the path remained uncertain. Iran's Fars news agency pushed back sharply, saying Trump's claims were 'inconsistent with reality,' and the Iranian government had not publicly confirmed any terms. A regional official told the AP that last-minute disputes could still derail the effort. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered careful language: 'I don't want to be overly optimistic. Let's see what happens over the next few days.'
The negotiations had already consumed weeks without resolution. Trump had told Axios on Saturday that he expected to decide by Sunday whether to resume military strikes, saying: 'Either we reach a good deal or I'll blow them to a thousand hells.' Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued in Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since mid-April, destroying a civil defence facility in Nabatieh on Sunday morning. Hezbollah said Iran's foreign minister had assured it that Tehran would not abandon it and that any deal must include Lebanon — though Lebanese authorities insisted their own talks with Israel proceed independently.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a sharp critique, saying the emerging terms amounted to paying the Revolutionary Guard to build weapons of mass destruction, echoing the very nuclear deal Trump had once withdrawn from. His objections underscored that even within Trump's political circle, skepticism ran deep — and that the distance between a claimed agreement and a durable peace remained, for now, very much unresolved.
Donald Trump announced Sunday that a peace agreement with Iran had been substantially worked out, following a series of phone calls with leaders across the Middle East and with Pakistani mediators who have been shepherding the negotiations. In a post on Truth Social, he stated that final details of what he called a Memorandum of Understanding were still being hammered out but would be released soon. The centerpiece of the emerging deal, he said, would be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes and which Tehran had effectively closed as part of the conflict that began in February.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking after Trump's announcement, congratulated the US president on his peace efforts and said his country hoped to host the next round of talks between Washington and Tehran in the coming days. Sharif had been on a call that morning with Trump and the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, along with Pakistan's army chief, Syed Asim Munir. The conversation, Sharif said, had been productive and focused on moving the peace process forward. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also on the call, said he believed workable solutions could be found on the nuclear question and other contentious issues, and that Turkey stood ready to support whatever implementation phase might follow an agreement.
The shape of the proposed deal, according to reporting from multiple outlets citing US and Pakistani officials, would unfold in stages. A 60-day ceasefire would begin immediately, during which Iran would clear mines it had laid in the Strait of Hormuz and allow shipping to resume freely. In return, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports. During that same window, negotiations would commence on Iran's nuclear program, with the possibility of extending talks beyond the initial 60 days. Three senior Iranian officials told the New York Times the agreement could also unlock roughly $25 billion in Iranian assets that had been frozen overseas. The deal would formally end the war and, according to draft language, would require an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon as well.
Yet the path to any final agreement remained uncertain. Iran's state media, particularly the Fars news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, pushed back against Trump's characterization of the deal as largely done, saying his claims were "inconsistent with reality." The Iranian government had not publicly confirmed the terms being reported by American and Pakistani sources. A regional official involved in the mediation told the Associated Press that "last-minute disputes" could still derail the effort, and that there was no guarantee the United States would even accept the framework Pakistan had proposed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when asked about progress, offered cautious language: "I don't want to be overly optimistic," he said. "Let's see what happens over the next few days."
The negotiations had already consumed weeks without resolution. Vice President JD Vance had led a US delegation to Islamabad six weeks earlier for an initial round of talks that ended without agreement. Trump himself had told Axios on Saturday that he expected to decide by Sunday whether to resume military strikes on Iran, saying bluntly: "Either we reach a good deal or I'll blow them to a thousand hells." The stakes were enormous—the Strait of Hormuz closure had already sent global energy prices climbing and raised fears of economic disruption worldwide. Reopening it would provide relief to the global economy, as Turkish officials noted in their statements.
Meanwhile, the human toll of the conflict continued even as diplomats negotiated. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes persisted despite a ceasefire that had been in place since mid-April. On Sunday morning, an Israeli strike destroyed a civil defence facility in the southern city of Nabatieh, collapsing the building and damaging vehicles and equipment, though the agency said its personnel had been evacuated and there were no casualties. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, said it had received word from Iran's foreign minister that Tehran would not abandon it and that any ceasefire agreement must include Lebanon. Yet Lebanese authorities insisted their own negotiations with Israel proceed independently from the Iran-US talks. The fighting on the ground had not stopped, even as the diplomacy accelerated.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had served under Trump in his first term, issued a sharp critique of the emerging terms, saying they amounted to paying the Revolutionary Guard to build weapons of mass destruction and resembled the nuclear deal that Trump himself had withdrawn from years earlier. "Open the damned strait," Pompeo wrote. "Deny Iran access to money. Take out enough Iranian capability so it cannot threaten our allies." His objections signaled that even within Trump's own political circle, skepticism about the deal ran deep. The question now was whether the final details would hold together long enough to be announced, or whether, as had happened before in recent weeks, last-minute disagreements would cause the entire framework to collapse.
Citas Notables
Pakistan will continue its peace efforts with utmost sincerity and we hope to host the next round of talks very soon.— Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
I don't want to be overly optimistic. Let's see what happens over the next few days.— US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter so much that it became the centerpiece of this deal?
Because it's the artery. Twenty percent of global oil moves through that narrow passage. When Iran closed it, shipping costs spiked, energy prices climbed, and every economy that depends on that oil felt the squeeze. Reopening it isn't just about Iran and America—it's about whether the world's supply chains can function.
But if Trump is so confident the deal is done, why is Iran's state media saying it's not?
Because neither side wants to appear weak. Trump announces victory to show strength at home. Iran's media denies it to show they haven't capitulated. The real negotiation is still happening in the spaces between those public statements. A Pakistani official told reporters last-minute disputes could still blow the whole thing up.
What about the nuclear part? That seems like the hardest piece.
It is. Iran originally wanted to push nuclear talks to a second phase, but US negotiators said no—they made clear that without some commitment on Iran's uranium stockpile in this first deal, they'd walk away and resume bombing. So Iran agreed to commit to giving it up, but the details of how that actually happens get punted to the next 60 days of talks.
And Lebanon? Hezbollah is saying Iran won't abandon them.
That's the tension nobody's solved yet. Iran says any deal must include Lebanon. Israel says it will keep striking if Hezbollah rearmed. Lebanon's government wants its own separate talks with Israel. Everyone's talking about the same ceasefire but from different rooms, with different demands.
So this could still fall apart.
It could fall apart tomorrow. It's happened before in recent weeks. Trump said he'd decide by Sunday whether to bomb Iran instead. That's not the language of a done deal—that's the language of a gun still loaded on the table.