President Donald Trump said that he will not “rush into a deal” to end the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, after senior Republican lawmakers warned it could be a “disastrous mistake.”
According to NBC News, Trump on Sunday, May 24, took a step back from earlier public statements from him and his officials from both nations that had indicated a deal was close to being announced.
He wrote on Truth Social, “Time is on our side. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one.”
The Republican president also blamed former President Barack Hussein Obama for making "one of the worst deals" of the US, "Iran Nuclear Deal."
Trump had sounded more upbeat on Saturday afternoon, writing on Truth Social that a deal “has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India on Sunday morning that there had been “some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region,” adding, “Perhaps there is the possibility that over the next few hours the world will get some good news.”
Iranian state media reported Sunday that a deal could see the lifting of oil sanctions and the end to a US blockade of its ports, with a return to “pre-war levels” of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days.
A 60-day negotiation period would be set for discussions on the nuclear issue, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian added Sunday that his country was “ready to assure the world” that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.
But some Republicans had slammed the possibility of a deal. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an X post he was “deeply concerned about what we are hearing,” adding that leaving an emboldened Iranian regime intact would be a “disastrous mistake.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also questioned the deal and warned it could lead to a “major shift of the balance of power in the region.”
