Trump Expresses Ongoing Dissatisfaction with Iran Agreement

US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's proposals for a deal on Wednesday, following a report by Iranian state television that outlined the details of a purported draft agreement. This development came as Trump spoke at a cabinet meeting in the White House, where he also stated that he was not rushed to reach an accord to end the Middle East war.

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Trump emphasized that Iran was eager to make a deal, but so far, their offers had not met his expectations, saying "Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal, so far they haven’t gotten there, we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be."

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He warned that if a deal was not reached, the United States might have to "finish the job," referring to the military operations launched by the US and Israel on February 28 and paused in April. Trump also described the Iranians as "negotiating on fumes."

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Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian state TV reported that a draft outline of a memorandum of understanding with Washington included a commitment to lift the naval blockade on Iran, restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and withdraw US forces from the Gulf. However, the White House dismissed this report as a "complete fabrication."

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Trump insisted that he was not under pressure to reach a deal, despite the ongoing Iran war contributing to rising living costs for Americans ahead of the midterm elections in November. The US President is currently facing record low approval ratings, with less than six months to go before the vote that will determine whether his party retains control of Congress.

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Trump suggested that Iran believed they could outwait him due to the upcoming midterm elections, saying "they thought they were going to outwait me, you know, ‘we’ll outwait him, he’s got the midterms,'” but he asserted "I don’t care about the midterms."

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was sitting next to Trump, noted that there had been "some progress and some interest" in the talks with Iran, and added that "we’ll see over the next few hours and days whether progress can be made."

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Trump provided sometimes contradictory accounts of the negotiations, stating that "nobody" including Iran would control the Strait of Hormuz, and rejecting reports that Iran and Oman could control a toll system for the waterway.

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The US leader, who will turn 80 next month, made a comment that appeared to be directed at Iran, saying "Oman will behave just like everybody else or we will have to blow them up."

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Trump also suggested that an Iran deal may be contingent on his push for Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries to sign the Abraham accords normalizing ties with Israel, saying "I’m not sure we should make the deal if they don’t sign."

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Trump has consistently stated that he launched the Iran war to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and he seemed to confirm reports that the deal under discussion could postpone addressing Iran's enriched uranium stocks while opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for oil traffic.

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When asked if he would accept a deal that only calls for further talks on the uranium, Trump replied "well, I would for some of it, because it’s a memorandum of understanding for speed."

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However, Trump expressed discomfort with the idea of Russia or China taking Iran's uranium, another solution that has been proposed.