Trump’s National Security Meet On Iran Provides No Clarity On ‘Final Determination’

A day after US President Donald Trump’s meeting in the White House Situation Room to make what he termed a ‘final determination’ on the Iran war ended, there is still no clarity on the trajectory of the Middle East conflict.

There has been no announcement on a decision whether to approve a deal, or to pause the conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on for three months now, has been taken.

The US President had earlier said he would be making a “final determination” in this crucial meeting, but that is yet to be disclosed.

Trump had reiterated in a Truth Social post that Iran must agree to never have a “Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” a condition he said was vital for any deal to happen.

“The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!).”

The Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint controlled by Iran, has been a flashpoint ever since the war broke out following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Before the conflict a fifth of the global energy supplies passed through the Strait. Since the conflict began, passage of energy vessels through the Strait has been hampered, stoking inflationary concerns across the world as oil prices soared to as much as $120 a barrel at one point of time.

Iranian news agency Fars had responded to Trump’s Truth Social post, saying, it “raised issues that contradict the provisions of the agreement’s text.”

There is no clarity on which of the president’s vital conditions, which he said was necessary for a deal, are part of the latest round of talks between the US and Iran to find a permanent solution to the war, CNBC reported.

The draft of a deal in the latest round of talks contains no reference to Iran dismantling or destroying its nuclear materials, the Fars post claimed.

The CNBC report said the White House did not respond to questions about Trump’s post and the claim made in the Fars post.

“No money will be exchanged, until further notice. Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to. I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,” Trump had posted.

Vice President JD Vance had said on Friday the U.S. and Iran are “very close” to reaching an an agreement on a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and begin negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.

While an Axios report on Thursday that the countries have indeed reached an agreement though an approval by the US top brass was pending, another report hinted that Iranian officials said they already have the necessary approval and are prepared to sign.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Singapore on Saturday that the US is ready to restart strikes on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, further fuelling speculation that an end to the conflict may have been finally struck.

Negotiators from Washington and Tehran are still continuing talks to iron out differences blocking a permanent cessation of hostilities or a preliminary deal, Reuters reported.