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Trump says deal with Iran, opening Strait of Hormuz 'largely negotiated'

Trump says deal with Iran, opening Strait of Hormuz 'largely negotiated'
Gas prices this Memorial Day weekend are rivaling the record set back in 2022, according to our get the Facts data team. The national average that year was 461 per gallon for regular. That's compared to this morning's average of 452 per gallon. Now that recent spike stems from ongoing oil shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war. The ceasefire does continue for now after President. Trump called off planned military strikes earlier this week, but he also told military leaders to be prepared to resume action at *** moment's notice if *** peace deal is not reached, and he has since changed his weekend plans to remain here in Washington DC. This is what the president said yesterday about the status of negotiations. Iran is dying to make *** deal. We'll see what happens, but we hit them hard. And we had no choice because Iran cannot have *** nuclear weapon. The Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker said on Friday that it is past time to restart military action against Iran, writing that the president is being ill advised to pursue *** deal that would. Not be worth the paper it is written on. Now that is in contrast to *** small but slowly growing number of Republicans on Capitol Hill who have joined Democratic efforts to end this war without congressional approval. Reporting in Washington, I'm Jackie DeFusco.
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Updated: 5:32 PM EDT May 23, 2026
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Trump says deal with Iran, opening Strait of Hormuz 'largely negotiated'
AP logo
Updated: 5:32 PM EDT May 23, 2026
Editorial Standards
President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region.Related video above: Memorial Day gas prices near record as Trump weighs next steps in Iran“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump said on social media, with no details on timing. He said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, and separately with Israel.He described it as a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE" that still must be finalized by the United States, Iran and the other countries that participated in Saturday’s talks.There was no mention of Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium, which Iran has sought to discuss later.There had been growing optimism among officialsThe United States and Iran were closing in on a deal to end the war, a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation efforts said earlier Saturday, after the U.S. weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations, said the parties have made "significant progress" in talks, but cautioned that "last-minute disputes" could blow up the efforts.He said the potential deal would include an official declaration of the war's end, with two-month negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and the U.S. would end its blockade of Iran's ports. He did not give details.Earlier, two regional officials and a diplomat expressed hope that a final decision on the Pakistan-prepared draft could come within 48 hours as both sides review it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.Iran, meanwhile, signaled "narrowing differences" in negotiations with the U.S. after Pakistan's army chief held more talks in Tehran, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in India that "there's been some progress made" and "there may be news later today."The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump spent Saturday at the White House, out of sight and largely silent on social media.Trump has been hearing a range of opinions on what a person familiar with the latest White House and Middle East allies' deliberations called the proposed 60-day ceasefire extension. Regional players are divided on whether the extension is a good idea, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the deliberations.Still, both Iran and the U.S. emphasized their key positions and have warned of the risks of resuming attacks and disrupting their ceasefire. Rubio repeated the U.S. stance that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and must turn over its highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz must be open.Iran describes it as a 'framework agreement' for more talksIran state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a "framework agreement" and adding: "We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached."He said the Strait of Hormuz is among the topics discussed.Positions have moved closer in recent days, Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying."Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences," he said. "We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days."Baghaei said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear program that has long been at the heart of international tensions."Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran "has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position."The Iranian-backed Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported that the Lebanese militant group's leader, Naim Kassim, received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran will not abandon its allies. There is a fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, a conflict that began two days after the Iran war started.Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the lead negotiator in historic face-to-face talks with the U.S. last month, said Iran has rebuilt its military assets and if Trump resumes attacks, the result would be "more crushing and more bitter" than at the start of the war.State TV said he spoke after meeting with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, who also met with Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. Qatar sent a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan's efforts.Trump had said 'serious negotiations' were underwayTrump earlier said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because "serious negotiations" were underway, and at the request of allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.The U.S. and Israel sparked the war with attacks on Feb. 28, cutting short nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the region's oil, natural gas and fertilizer, causing global economic pain.The U.S. then blockaded Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command on Saturday said U.S. forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began April 13.Magdy reported from Cairo and Lee from Washington. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region.

Related video above: Memorial Day gas prices near record as Trump weighs next steps in Iran

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“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump said on social media, with no details on timing. He said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, and separately with Israel.

He described it as a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE" that still must be finalized by the United States, Iran and the other countries that participated in Saturday’s talks.

There was no mention of Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium, which Iran has sought to discuss later.

There had been growing optimism among officials

The United States and Iran were closing in on a deal to end the war, a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation efforts said earlier Saturday, after the U.S. weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations, said the parties have made "significant progress" in talks, but cautioned that "last-minute disputes" could blow up the efforts.

He said the potential deal would include an official declaration of the war's end, with two-month negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and the U.S. would end its blockade of Iran's ports. He did not give details.

Earlier, two regional officials and a diplomat expressed hope that a final decision on the Pakistan-prepared draft could come within 48 hours as both sides review it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Iran, meanwhile, signaled "narrowing differences" in negotiations with the U.S. after Pakistan's army chief held more talks in Tehran, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in India that "there's been some progress made" and "there may be news later today."

Iran&#39&#x3B;s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, right, shakes hands with Pakistan&#39&#x3B;s Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 23, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/ICANA via AP)
Hamed Malekpour
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, right, shakes hands with Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 23, 2026.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump spent Saturday at the White House, out of sight and largely silent on social media.

Trump has been hearing a range of opinions on what a person familiar with the latest White House and Middle East allies' deliberations called the proposed 60-day ceasefire extension. Regional players are divided on whether the extension is a good idea, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the deliberations.

Still, both Iran and the U.S. emphasized their key positions and have warned of the risks of resuming attacks and disrupting their ceasefire. Rubio repeated the U.S. stance that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and must turn over its highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz must be open.

Iran describes it as a 'framework agreement' for more talks

Iran state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a "framework agreement" and adding: "We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached."

He said the Strait of Hormuz is among the topics discussed.

Positions have moved closer in recent days, Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying.

"Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences," he said. "We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days."

Baghaei said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear program that has long been at the heart of international tensions.

"Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran "has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position."

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported that the Lebanese militant group's leader, Naim Kassim, received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran will not abandon its allies. There is a fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, a conflict that began two days after the Iran war started.

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the lead negotiator in historic face-to-face talks with the U.S. last month, said Iran has rebuilt its military assets and if Trump resumes attacks, the result would be "more crushing and more bitter" than at the start of the war.

State TV said he spoke after meeting with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, who also met with Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. Qatar sent a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan's efforts.

Trump had said 'serious negotiations' were underway

Trump earlier said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because "serious negotiations" were underway, and at the request of allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

The U.S. and Israel sparked the war with attacks on Feb. 28, cutting short nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the region's oil, natural gas and fertilizer, causing global economic pain.

The U.S. then blockaded Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command on Saturday said U.S. forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began April 13.


Magdy reported from Cairo and Lee from Washington. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

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