U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to dampen hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the Middle East war by saying he had told his negotiators not to “rush”, hours after his top diplomat said the U.S. and Iran could strike a bargain to end the regional war as early as Sunday.
The U.S. blockade on Iranian ships on the Strait of Hormuz would "remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed", Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Negotiations were progressing and the U.S. relationship with Iran had become more professional and productive, he said. But he added: "Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!"
A day earlier, Trump said Washington and Iran had "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Trump has repeatedly played up the prospect of an agreement to end the war that the U.S. and Israel started on February 28, so far without success.
