Iran said on Saturday that the two sides were nearing "a memorandum of understanding".
An Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign under a billboard with a graphic showing the Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of US President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 6, 2026. (File photo: AP/Vahid Salemi)
24 May 2026 11:07PM
(Updated: 24 May 2026 11:17PM)
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday (May 24) that he had told US negotiators "not to rush into a deal" with Iran, amid anticipation that an agreement to end the war in the Middle East was close."The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. "The blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed."The US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports since Apr 13 after Tehran virtually halted traffic through the economically vital Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began Feb 28.
