Tehran pushed back against Trump’s claims of an imminent breakthrough, saying no final decision has been taken despite growing optimism from Washington and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 1, 2026. (Xinhua via IANS)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said US President Donald Trump assured him that any eventual agreement between Washington and Tehran would require Iran to give up its stockpile of enriched nuclear material, dismantle its enrichment facilities, curb missile production, and halt support for armed groups operating across the region.
The remarks come amid conflicting signals over the status of ongoing US-Iran negotiations. While Trump has repeatedly suggested that a breakthrough is close and that a deal could be signed within days, Iranian officials continue to maintain that no final agreement has been reached.
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According to a statement issued by Netanyahu’s office after a phone conversation with Trump on Thursday, the Israeli leader welcomed the emerging memorandum of understanding and expressed appreciation for the US President’s commitments on key security concerns.
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“Even though Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region,” the statement posted on X said.
The optimism from Washington was quickly tempered by statements from Tehran, where officials rejected suggestions that a deal had already been approved.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described reports of a finalised agreement as “merely speculation” and said Tehran had not yet taken a final decision on any proposal under discussion.
“From the beginning, the status of the negotiations was clear to us, and a large portion of the text had already been finalised. However, the Americans kept changing their positions,” Baghaei said, according to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, as cited by CNN.
Baghaei said on Friday that Iran had “not reached a final conclusion on the agreement”.
Iranian media outlets also urged caution regarding Trump’s latest assertions. Tasnim news agency noted that the US President had repeatedly predicted an imminent breakthrough over the past two months and argued that any development should be treated with caution until confirmed by Tehran.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House that negotiations had advanced significantly and that only procedural formalities remained before an agreement could be signed.
“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump said, adding that the documents were in near-final form.
“Subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days, we’ll probably have a signing, maybe in Europe. It’s a great thing,” he told reporters.
Trump also claimed that Iran’s supreme leader had approved the framework under discussion. Asked whether approval had been granted, he replied: “I understand the answer is yes.”
The US President further said the proposed arrangement would ensure that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”, though he did not provide details about verification mechanisms.
Trump said one of the expected outcomes of the agreement would be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route.
He claimed the waterway would reopen once the deal was signed and suggested a signing ceremony could take place in Europe, possibly with Vice President JD Vance representing the United States.
“The whole Middle East is happy, and long beyond the Middle East,” Trump said.
The waterway remains one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, and uncertainty surrounding the conflict has contributed to higher crude oil prices and broader economic concerns.
Thursday’s diplomatic optimism marked a dramatic shift from Trump’s earlier rhetoric.
Hours before speaking about a potential settlement, the US President had threatened military action against Iran and warned of possible strikes targeting critical energy infrastructure.
In a social media post, Trump said: “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela.”
Kharg Island is Iran’s principal oil export hub and a key pillar of the country’s energy sector.
Trump later said planned military action had been cancelled because negotiations had progressed rapidly and because, according to him, the final points of the proposed arrangement had been approved by all parties involved.
However, Tehran has not publicly confirmed such approval. Iran’s Fars news agency, citing an unnamed source, reported earlier on Thursday that no draft agreement with the United States had yet received official approval.
The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran began on February 28. Although a ceasefire was reached in April, recent exchanges and competing narratives from Washington and Tehran continue to underline the fragility of the situation.
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