Four Republicans join Democrats as House votes to curb Trump’s Iran war powers
The closely contested vote exposed divisions within the Republican Party while renewing debate over Congress' authority to approve extended military operations overseas.
Trump said the US would not rush negotiations with Iran even as White House officials expressed optimism that a proposed agreement could move closer within days.
US President Donald Trump (Photo: X/@WhiteHouse)
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said negotiations with Iran were progressing “constructively” but made it clear that Washington would not rush into signing an agreement, even as the White House reportedly expressed confidence that a deal could be approved within days.
According to an Axios report cited by US media, senior American officials believe Iran’s leadership may take a few more days to clear the proposed agreement. However, officials also admitted that negotiations remain unfinished and there is still a possibility that the talks could collapse before a final deal is signed.
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Trump, in a series of posts on Truth Social, repeatedly sought to distance the ongoing negotiations from the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered during former President Barack Obama’s administration. Calling the earlier deal “one of the worst deals ever made”, Trump claimed his administration’s approach would stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons rather than enabling it.
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“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama,” Trump wrote, adding that the earlier agreement gave Iran “a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon”.
The US President also underlined that his administration was in no hurry to conclude talks.
“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal because time is on our side,” he wrote.
Trump further said economic pressure on Iran would continue until a formal agreement is reached.
“The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed,” he added.
Trump asserted that the proposed agreement being discussed by his administration would be fundamentally different from the Obama-era nuclear pact.
“Our deal is the exact opposite,” he said, while also acknowledging that negotiations are still incomplete.
“It isn’t even fully negotiated yet,” Trump wrote, urging critics not to speculate about the terms of the discussions.
The remarks came shortly after Trump claimed that a broader regional understanding involving Iran and several Middle Eastern countries was nearing finalisation. He said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.
Trump also said he separately spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding discussions linked to Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Straits of Hormuz.
Netanyahu later confirmed the conversation in a post on X and thanked Trump for his support towards Israel’s security interests.
Trump indicated that the diplomatic outreach around Iran could eventually expand the scope of the Abraham Accords, the US-backed agreements aimed at normalising ties between Israel and several Arab nations.
“I would like to thank, thus far, all of the countries of the Middle East for their support and cooperation,” Trump said, adding that regional partnerships could strengthen further under the evolving arrangement.
US Senator Lindsey Graham also backed the administration’s approach, saying any long-term agreement with Tehran should be tied to a wider expansion of the Abraham Accords involving Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority nations.
Despite the optimistic signals from Washington, US officials quoted in media reports cautioned that the proposed deal has not yet been finalised and could still unravel during the final stages of negotiations.
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