Trump: Iran "Getting Closer" to Agreement as US Blockade Continues, Civilian Deaths Mount
US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran is "getting a lot closer" to an agreement with the United States regarding the conflict, a sentiment echoed by Tehran which indicated progress over the past week. However, both parties have exercised caution, with Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson clarifying that nuclear weapons would not be included in any preliminary proposals.
Trump informed CBS News he had reviewed a draft agreement, though he refrained from offering specific details, only stating that any deal would "absolutely" prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He added, "I will only sign a deal where we get everything we want. We're going to have a deal, or we're going to have a situation where no country will ever be hit as hard as they're about to be hit."
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that US and Iranian positions had converged recently but cautioned that this did not guarantee agreements on fundamental issues, accusing the Americans of "contradictory statements." Baqaei detailed plans to finalise a 14-point framework memorandum, allowing for further negotiations within 30 to 60 days to achieve a comprehensive agreement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from India, expressed cautious optimism, suggesting potential news within days but without certainty. Rubio reiterated the US stance against Iranian nuclear weapons and demanded the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian tolls, alongside the surrender of highly enriched uranium.
These developments unfold as the US blockade of Iranian ports, initiated on 13 April, continues. US Central Command (Centcom) reported redirecting 100 vessels, disabling four, and permitting 26 humanitarian aid ships to pass since the blockade began. Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper claimed the forces were "highly effective" in allowing "zero trade into and out of Iranian ports which has squeezed Iran economically." Iran, conversely, claims military control over the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that all transit requires authorisation from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority—a claim the US and its Gulf allies consistently reject.
The US-Israel coalition initiated wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, killing Iran's Supreme Leader and hundreds of civilians, including 110 children in an attack on an Iranian primary school. This context underscores the material interests driving Western foreign policy in the Middle East, where client regimes like the Gulf monarchies are leveraged to project Western military power and secure vital oil and gas resources, while Israel functions as a forward military outpost sustained by significant Western backing.