Middle East on edge as Trump mulls decision on deal to end war with Iran

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2026) People around the world, especially in the middle East, marked time "uneasily" on Saturday as US President Donald Trump wavered on whether to move ahead with an agreement with Iran to end the war, according to media reports.

On Friday, he vowed to make a “final determination” soon, saying on social media on Friday that he was meeting with advisers at the White House Situation Room to do so, but The New York Times said that that meeting ended with no announcement.

Trump has zigzagged on his positions during the negotiations, vacillating between talk of progress on a deal and threats of renewed strikes, the report pointed out.

Later on Friday evening, Iran said there was still “no final agreement” with the United States.

Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told state television that while “message exchanges are of course ongoing,” a deal was not yet in hand.

Some details of the proposal — which has yet to be made public — were described by several officials briefed on them or involved in the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity with the Times because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy.

The proposal appears to involve few immediate concessions from Iran, despite Trump’s claims that he has won a resounding victory over his adversaries.

The proposal would effectively end the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran in exchange for Iran lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil and gas shipping that Iran has closed since the early days of the war, rattling energy markets.

Many of the thorniest issues — such as the future of Iran’s nuclear programme — would be deferred to later rounds of talks, the Times said.

Trump said in his social media post on Friday that, to make a deal, Iran would have to agree to fully reopen the strait to shipping traffic and allow the United States to remove and destroy its stockpiles of enriched uranium. The United States and Israel fear Iran could use that to make a nuclear weapon.

On Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, a former Iranian military chief who is an adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, accused Trump of “excessive demands” and “betraying diplomacy.”

Trump began the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran in late February with a speech suggesting that the war was intended to lead to the ouster of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled the country since a 1979 revolution.

Three months later, Iran’s leaders view themselves as victorious, having weathered a U.

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S.-Israeli effort to topple their rule. Weeks of war, and nearly two months of U.S. pressure and negotiations, appear to have done little to shift their public stance on key issues, such as the country’s nuclear programme.

Earlier, Axios reported, citing U.S. officials, that negotiators had tentatively agreed to a proposed 60-day cease-fire framework.

During that period, the two sides would seek to address contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and broader regional security concerns.

The U.S.-Iran negotiations have involved a mix of direct and indirect contacts aimed at securing a temporary cessation of hostilities while creating space for broader discussions on Iran’s nuclear activities, regional security concerns and maritime stability.

Diplomats familiar with the talks say the proposed framework is intended to serve as a confidence-building measure, allowing both sides to pursue longer-term arrangements without the immediate pressure of escalating military action.

Pakistan has emerged as an important diplomatic interlocutor during the crisis, leveraging its ties with Washington, Tehran and key Gulf capitals to encourage dialogue and de-escalation.

Islamabad has consistently advocated a negotiated settlement, warning that a prolonged conflict could destabilize the wider region and undermine fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring security in the Middle East.

The conflict has heightened concerns across global energy and shipping markets, particularly because of Iran’s strategic position along key maritime routes that handle a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade.

Analysts have warned that any prolonged disruption could trigger higher energy prices, increase transportation costs and exacerbate inflationary pressures in major economies.

Regional governments and international stakeholders have therefore pushed for a diplomatic resolution, fearing that further escalation could disrupt commercial shipping, unsettle financial markets and complicate global supply chains.

Pakistan, which maintains relations with both Iran and the United States, has supported efforts to reduce tensions, arguing that regional stability remains critical for trade, investment and energy security across Asia and the Middle East.

The political backdrop also remains important even as the president has publicly dismissed suggestions that the approaching midterm elections are influencing his approach to the negotiations.