President Donald Trump said Iran is ready to negotiate a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict between the two nations [1].
This development is critical as the U.S. seeks to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure global maritime security [1, 3, 5].
Trump said that talks over the previous 24 hours [1] were "very good" and that a resolution is "very possible." The president said that Iran wants to make a deal badly, but emphasized that if an agreement is reached, Iran cannot have nuclear weapons [1].
Earlier this week, Trump said to Yahoo News on May 4 that while Iran wants a deal, he was not yet ready [2]. However, by May 6, he said to PBS NewsHour that there is a "very good chance" the two sides are nearing a deal to end the war [5].
Reports on the current status of the negotiations remain mixed. Some reports suggest Iran has agreed to terms it previously resisted, including abandoning its nuclear ambitions [2], though Tehran has not publicly confirmed these claims [2]. Other reports indicate it may be too soon for new direct talks despite the reported progress [3].
According to CNN, Iran is expected to respond to current proposals on Thursday, May 9 [4]. The U.S. and Iran have reportedly exchanged new proposals to end the war as part of this diplomatic push [5].
“"They want to make a deal badly... If we get there, they can't have nuclear weapons."”
The shift in rhetoric from the White House suggests a transition from a policy of maximum pressure to one of active negotiation. If a deal is reached, it could stabilize oil markets by securing the Strait of Hormuz and create a new framework for nuclear non-proliferation in the Middle East, though the lack of confirmation from Tehran indicates that a final agreement is not yet guaranteed.
