President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States and Iran could finalize an agreement within the next week to extend an interim ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He expressed confidence in the diplomatic process even as fresh regional friction and mixed signals from Tehran complicated the talks.
In a telephone interview with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump described the backchannel negotiations as “looking good,” while conceding that discussions had hit a temporary setback earlier in the day. “There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly,” Trump said. According to the president, momentum faltered after Tehran objected to expanded Israeli military strikes in Lebanon. Trump said he intervened directly with both sides and pressed for an immediate de-escalation to protect the fragile U.S.-Iranian dialogue.
A Diplomatic Alternative to Force
Trump framed the negotiations as a potential turning point in modern Middle Eastern statecraft. He argued that a binding diplomatic accord would produce a more durable result than prolonged military action. “A peace agreement with Iran could be even better than a military victory,” he said.
He also acknowledged the deep structural obstacles to any comprehensive deal, pointing to decades of institutional hostility between Washington and Tehran. He described Iran as an influential regional power and said domestic political pressures on both sides continue to complicate the talks.
“It’s not an easy thing for them,” Trump said. “It’s actually not easy from our standpoint either. But we’re getting what we need to get.”
The president said negotiators are working toward a formal memorandum of understanding aimed at lifting maritime restrictions in the Persian Gulf and guaranteeing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. He suggested the document could be completed within seven days, but admitted that key sticking points remain. “I still have to get a few more points,” he added, without specifying the outstanding concessions.
The optimistic timeline followed a turbulent day of diplomacy on Monday, when Iranian officials signaled a suspension of talks in protest of ongoing Israeli operations against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The announcement raised concerns among allied capitals that the diplomatic opening could collapse. Trump moved quickly to counter reports that the talks had stalled, asserting in a social media post that technical discussions were moving at a “rapid pace.” Officials in Tehran, however, had not immediately issued public statements confirming that formal sessions had resumed.
Parallel Efforts on the Northern Front
Trump also said he had used direct personal diplomacy to manage the northern front of the wider regional conflict. He said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and secured a commitment that the Israel Defense Forces would refrain from ground incursions into central Beirut. Separately, Trump claimed that indirect communication through regional intermediaries had produced a reciprocal understanding in which Hezbollah would halt rocket and drone attacks across the border, in exchange for an end to targeted Israeli airstrikes against its senior command.
Diplomatic observers caution that previous informal truces between Israel and the Lebanese militia have often proven fragile, frequently unraveling under the pressure of localized cross-border exchanges.
What Is at Stake in Hormuz
The core of the current negotiations is the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global petroleum supplies pass each day. Any prolonged disruption or spike in insurance risk in the narrow waterway could roil energy markets, raise international shipping costs, and add volatility to the global economy.
For the White House, restoring normal traffic through the strait would be a major diplomatic breakthrough and a way to reduce risks to global supply chains. For Tehran, formal maritime arrangements are closely linked to sanctions relief, guarantees against foreign military intervention, and recognition of its regional maritime jurisdiction.
Although the administration has described the coming week as a critical window for a breakthrough, seasoned defense and foreign policy analysts warn that Trump’s timeline remains an aspirational target rather than a finalized plan. With regional tensions running high and deep mistrust on both sides, the durability of any agreement will depend on whether negotiators can turn verbal understandings into enforceable commitments on land and at sea.
