US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end “quickly” as Tehran considers a US peace proposal that would formally close the conflict but leave several core issues unresolved.
Iran has not yet accepted the plan, and officials in Tehran have described it as closer to an American “wish-list” than a workable agreement.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said US officials had held “very good talks” over the previous 24 hours.
“They want to make a deal,” Trump said. “It’s very possible that we’ll make a deal.”
He later added that, if progress continues, “it’ll be over quickly.”
Trump has repeatedly promoted the possibility of an agreement to end the war, which began on February 28, but previous efforts have not produced a final settlement.
Tehran reviews proposal
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, cited by Iran’s ISNA news agency, said Tehran would convey its response to the US proposal.
However, Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for parliament’s powerful foreign policy and national security committee, dismissed the plan as “more of an American wish-list than a reality.”
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Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also mocked reports that a deal was near. Writing in English on social media, he said: “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”
Qalibaf said the reports amounted to US spin after Washington failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
One-page memorandum
A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation said the sides were close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict.
The memorandum would not immediately resolve the hardest issues. Instead, it would begin talks on reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting US sanctions on Iran and setting limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
A source briefed on the mediation said US negotiations were being led by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Also Read: US and Iran near war-end deal
If both sides approve the preliminary agreement, it would trigger a 30-day window for detailed negotiations toward a full deal.
The proposed memorandum, as described by sources, does not appear to require immediate concessions from either side. It also does not mention several major US demands that Iran has rejected in the past, including restrictions on Iran’s missile programme and an end to Tehran’s support for proxy militias in the Middle East.
The sources also did not mention Iran’s existing stockpile of more than 400kg, or 882 pounds, of near-weapons-grade uranium.
Strait of Hormuz remains central
The two sides remain divided over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, the waterway handled around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.
Trump on Tuesday paused a two-day-old naval mission to reopen the blockaded strait, citing progress in peace talks. The Guardian also reported that Trump had paused the Hormuz shipping mission amid diplomatic movement and regional pushback.
NBC News, citing two unnamed US officials, reported that Trump’s abrupt reversal came after Saudi Arabia suspended the US military’s ability to use a Saudi base for the operation.
According to the report, Saudi officials were surprised and angered by Trump’s announcement that the US would help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia then told Washington it would deny the US permission to fly military aircraft out of a Saudi base or through Saudi airspace, NBC reported.
Trump says ‘too soon’ for face-to-face talks
Despite reports of diplomatic progress, Trump told The Post on Wednesday morning that it was “too soon” to begin thinking about face-to-face peace talks between the US and Iran.
Asked whether The Post should prepare to send a reporter back to Pakistan for a new round of negotiations, Trump responded: “I don’t think so.”
“I think we’ll do it — it’s too far,” he added. “No, it’s too much.”
Trump has previously said he would be open to traveling to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement, citing respect for Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir’s role in bringing Washington and Tehran together.
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Axios reported that White House officials believe they are close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page proposal of principles that could form the basis of a final peace deal.
The reported framework included Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides easing restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, The Post reported that multiple versions of the proposal are still being discussed and that final points have not yet been decided.
“Which one is going to be approved, no one knows,” a Pakistani source familiar with mediation efforts said.
Uranium enrichment timeline major hurdle
A second Islamabad source said the biggest sticking point is how soon Iran would be allowed to resume uranium enrichment. The dispute centers on whether enrichment could restart after five years, after 20 years, or never.
“The main hurdle is the duration of enrichment restrictions,” the source said. “There is no final deal yet.”
The same source said the extent of US sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and plans for “Hormuz de-escalation and shipping restoration” also remain under discussion.
Another unresolved issue is the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, which was buried deep underground after the June 2025 US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump has said Iran cannot keep the material, while Iran does not want to hand it over to the United States.
Also Read: IRGC says Hormuz route safe after threats neutralised
Iran previously approached Russia with the idea that Moscow, which has nuclear capabilities, could take the leftover uranium.
But that possibility crosses a red line for Trump. Asked about the material Wednesday as he left a Mother’s Day event at the White House, Trump said: “We’re going to get it.”
Pakistan frames its role as quiet mediation
A source close to the Pakistani government said Islamabad has been involved from the beginning because regional stability has direct global consequences.
“Pakistan has been engaged from the outset because it understands a simple reality: regional stability feeds directly into global stability,” the source said.
“Any escalation in this space doesn’t stay contained, so there is a clear incentive for responsible actors to step in early and quietly.”
The source added that any talk of a deal likely reflects “quiet convergence” around de-escalation first, followed by space for a more structured agreement.
“Pakistan’s role, in that sense, is less about headlines and more about keeping that possibility alive,” the person said.
During a Mother’s Day speech at the White House, Trump said the US was talking to people in Iran who want a deal. “We are talking to those in Iran who want to make a deal,” Trump said. “We will see if that deal is acceptable to us or not.”
He repeated that Iran would not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Trump also praised the US Navy’s blockade, describing it as an “iron wall” that no one could pass through.
Trump praises US military
Trump said the US performance in Iran was “excellent” and that “things are moving forward well.”
“They want to make a deal, they want negotiations,” he said. He compared the situation to US action in Venezuela, saying the “entire operation was completed in one day.”
Trump said the United States has “the best army in the world” and repeated that Washington would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
He also praised Vice President JD Vance, saying he was “doing a great job.” “The world is respecting us,” Trump said. “It wasn’t like that before.”
He added that two years ago “the world was laughing at us,” but now “there is no more powerful country in the world than us.”