WANA (May 25) – So far, Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran has reportedly led to a “serious breakthrough” in negotiations between Iran and the United States toward a temporary and preliminary agreement — a scenario that, as previously noted, always seemed plausible.

 

Following this memorandum of understanding, the two sides are expected to spend the next 60 days negotiating a final deal on the details of the nuclear issue. Still, as mentioned before, a comprehensive and final agreement remains far from easy and, for now, appears unlikely.

 

At this stage, it seems the ball is now in Trump’s court: whether to accept or reject this temporary understanding. The reality is that the U.S. president has both incentives pushing him toward signing the deal and numerous pressures and obstacles that could prevent him from doing so.

 

The fact that Trump, a few days ago, invoked regional leaders while justifying the delay of war — and yesterday again used the same argument to promote a temporary agreement and explain his retreat from previous positions — may be seen as a positive sign of his readiness to sign.

 

What Is Still Blocking an Iran–U.S. Deal?

WANA (May 24) – Recent developments surrounding negotiations between Iran and the United States suggest less a path toward a final agreement and more a complex, multilayered process still burdened by major disagreements. While Tehran and Washington appear to have moved closer to a mutual understanding in certain areas, significant gaps remain on the most […]

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Otherwise, if Trump had truly intended to listen to regional leaders from the beginning, he would never have launched this war in the first place. But now, in order to escape this self-made quagmire, he appears willing to use their support as political cover.

 

At the same time, however, Trump has come under intense criticism since yesterday — not only from opponents but also from allies inside the United States, as well as from within Israel. Hardly anyone is portraying him as the winner of this preliminary understanding; on the contrary, many describe him as the loser. Some of his own allies have even called the current arrangement “worse than the JCPOA.”

 

These criticisms have created heavy political pressure around Trump domestically and could provoke his deeply personal and self-centered instincts, potentially pushing him to refuse signing the agreement and avoid resolving the few remaining issues.

 

Although some American sources have attempted to soften the situation by describing it as a “60-day extension of the ceasefire,” the actual text of the memorandum reportedly emphasizes an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

An Iranian man walks next to a mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Meanwhile, Iran has not given any clear commitment regarding the future of uranium enrichment or its uranium stockpiles, leaving those issues to be negotiated during the coming 60 days.

 

Regardless of what ultimately happens — and setting aside Iran’s own domestic challenges — the situation so far, particularly regarding the war and the current temporary agreement, suggests that accepting an end to the conflict without resolving the nuclear file demonstrates Iran’s stronger hand in the interim deal.

 

At the same time, it creates a major dilemma for both Trump and Netanyahu. A war that reportedly began with the broader objective of toppling the Islamic Republic now seems to be ending with an agreement in which Trump has not only failed to secure nuclear concessions, but Iran, under the preliminary arrangement, may gain the opportunity to end the conflict by leveraging the “Hormuz Strait card,” free part of its frozen assets, and secure exemptions for selling its sanctioned oil.

A woman walks past a billboard with a graphic design about the Strait of Hormuz on a building, amid a ceasefire between U.S. and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 27, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

In addition, the presumed acceptance of a ceasefire in Lebanon within the framework of the preliminary agreement with Tehran effectively amounts — intentionally or not — to recognition of Iran’s regional influence and role, even if Israel may attempt to undermine it through further attacks. This comes despite the fact that one of the war’s central goals had reportedly been to diminish Iran’s regional influence, not to acknowledge it in any form.

 

Taken together, all of these factors make Trump’s final decision extremely difficult. If he signs, he may escape the quagmire of war only to enter an even deeper political swamp at home. If he refuses and orders further attacks, the situation could become even more complex and dangerous.

 

For now, all eyes remain on how he will navigate this exhausting crossroads: signing the agreement, or launching another strike before eventually returning to negotiations.

 

The story is still unfolding….