Hopes of a breakthrough in the uneasy US-Iran ceasefire process remained elusive on Friday after President Donald Trump convened his national security team in the White House Situation Room, only for Tehran to later insist that no final understanding had been reached.
The latest exchange laid bare the deep differences that continue to separate Washington and Tehran. While Trump signalled that a decision on a possible agreement could be near and reiterated demands on Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian officials rejected what they described as attempts to dictate terms and denied that negotiations on the nuclear issue were underway.
The White House said the Situation Room meeting lasted around two hours but offered no indication that a deal had been finalised. A White House official said Trump would only accept an agreement that met US red lines and ensured that Iran never obtained a nuclear weapon.
“The Situation Room meeting has concluded and lasted approximately two hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” an official said.
Before the meeting, Trump had suggested that discussions with his security team would help him make a final determination on Iran-related issues. In a post on Truth Social, he said Iran must commit to never possessing a nuclear bomb and called for unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. 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!). Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of “heading home!” Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He added: “The enriched material, sometimes referred to as “Nuclear Dust,” which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States (which, it is agreed, is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability of doing so!), in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED. 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.”
However, Tehran quickly pushed back.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the country had long rejected the language of compulsion from Western powers and would make decisions solely on the basis of its national interests.
“Tehran has said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago,” Baghaei told state television, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV.
Baghaei also disputed reports of any agreement taking shape between the two countries, saying no negotiations were taking place on the nuclear issue.
His remarks contrasted sharply with repeated assertions by Trump that Washington had made clear to Tehran that uranium enrichment linked to the development of nuclear weapons would not be accepted.
Strait of Hormuz emerges as fresh flashpoint
Adding another layer to the standoff, Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) criticised fresh US sanctions imposed against it and vowed to continue its operations without disruption.
The sanctions were announced by the US Treasury Department, which accused the authority of working with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and facilitating what Washington described as illegitimate tolls on commercial shipping passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to the move, the PGSA said the United States had failed to secure control over the waterway through military or diplomatic means and would not succeed through sanctions.
The authority said it would continue processing passage requests and issuing permits to what it described as non-hostile vessels.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the sanctions, saying the measures were part of the Trump administration’s “Economic Fury” campaign aimed at tightening financial pressure on Tehran.
Ceasefire talks remain uncertain
Despite public statements from both sides, uncertainty continues to surround the future of ceasefire-related negotiations.
Iranian officials said indirect contacts with the United States were continuing through intermediaries on issues linked to hostilities, maritime security and Iranian assets abroad. At the same time, they maintained that no discussions were taking place on the nuclear programme itself.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also struck a sceptical note, saying Tehran would judge the ceasefire process by actions rather than assurances.
The developments underscore the fragile nature of the current truce, with disagreements over nuclear activities, sanctions and the Strait of Hormuz continuing to cloud prospects for a broader understanding between Washington and Tehran.