Day 87 of Iran War: Trump Says US in No Rush to Sign Deal, Dashing Hopes for Breakthrough

US President Donald Trump instructed his representatives not to rush into signing any deal with Iran, as his administration downplayed hopes for an imminent breakthrough in the three-month war that had been raised a day earlier.

The US naval blockade of Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would “remain in full force and effect until a deal is reached, certified, and signed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, a day after saying that an agreement had been “largely negotiated,” including the reopening of the vital waterway.

There was no immediate response from the Iranian government. However, Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the US was still blocking parts of a potential deal, including Tehran's demand for the release of frozen funds.

The two sides remain at odds over several difficult issues, such as Iran's nuclear ambitions, Israel's war in Lebanon, lifting sanctions on Tehran, and releasing billions of dollars in their frozen foreign assets.

Inside Iran

Iranian state media reported that a man named Abbas Akbari was executed for crimes related to nationwide anti-government protests in January. A liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier left the Strait of Hormuz and was heading to Pakistan on Monday, while an Iraqi crude supertanker bound for China left the Gulf on Saturday after being stuck for nearly three months, shipping data showed.

War Diplomacy

A senior Trump administration official told reporters that a deal would not be signed on Sunday, saying the Iranian system does not move fast enough, according to Reuters. But he outlined what he said were the latest contours of what is being negotiated. The unidentified official said Iran had agreed “in principle” to open the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade and removing Tehran's highly enriched uranium. He said the US understood that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had endorsed the framework of the deal. There was no immediate confirmation from Iran or elaboration on what the “in principle” agreement means.

In the US

“We're either going to have a good deal, or we're going to have to resolve this another way. We want a good deal,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi, India, on Sunday. “The president is not going to do a bad deal – he won't do it,” he added. He said a “pretty solid” proposal was on the table. Trump is facing growing opposition from prominent hawks in his Republican Party, including Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, who oppose ending the US-Israel war on Iran through negotiations.

Global Economy

State-owned fuel retailers in India raised diesel prices by 2.71 rupees ($0.0283) per liter and petrol by 2.61 rupees, dealers said. This was the fourth increase in May as the government tries to offset losses from higher crude costs due to the war in Iran. Japan's Nikkei stock average breached 65,000 for the first time, driven by increased risk appetite for risky assets amid growing optimism about a potential deal to end the war.

In Lebanon

Two houses were destroyed in the southern Lebanese town of Arzoun in Tyre district in an Israeli airstrike, the Lebanese National News Agency reported. Rescue teams were at the scene to evacuate the wounded. Israel continues to strike despite a ceasefire. The Israeli military said a soldier was killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, and another seriously wounded. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli drones flew over the Lebanese capital for a second straight day. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a statement marking Resistance and Liberation Day, which commemorates the 2000 end of Israel's 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon. “The path to a full Israeli withdrawal remains a steadfast national demand, one that the Lebanese state is working to achieve through negotiations,” he said.