A senior U.S. administration official told Axios on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump has been informed that Iranian officials will need approximately three days to respond to his request for modifications to a draft agreement between Washington and Tehran.
According to the official, Trump remains confident that an agreement will ultimately be reached, although the timing remains uncertain. He expressed hope that progress could be achieved by the beginning of next week.
Trump reportedly requested several changes to the draft accord reached by his envoys and their Iranian counterparts during a meeting held in the White House Situation Room on Friday. Sources familiar with the matter said the president wants to strengthen provisions he considers critical, particularly those related to Iran’s nuclear program.
U.S. officials stated that Trump is committed to securing an agreement but wants additional assurances regarding nuclear materials and other key issues before final approval.
A White House official told reporters that Trump “will only agree to a deal that is good for the United States, meets his red lines, and guarantees that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, Iranian officials told state media that they have not yet approved a final version of the agreement, despite earlier indications from U.S. officials that Tehran had been prepared to sign and that the decision rested with Trump.
According to the report, the current memorandum of understanding includes an Iranian commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons but does not contain detailed obligations beyond that pledge.
The draft also provides for a 60-day negotiation period to address Iran’s nuclear commitments and potential U.S. sanctions relief. Among the first issues to be discussed are the disposition of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and future limits on uranium enrichment activities.
A senior administration official said Trump wants more detailed provisions regarding how and when the United States would obtain Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
Another source familiar with the negotiations said Trump also seeks revisions to language concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The official added that Trump was told Iranian negotiators would require about three days to formulate a response. He remarked that communication has been challenging, saying, “They are literally hiding in caves and not using email.”
Despite the ongoing negotiations, the senior U.S. official expressed confidence that a deal would eventually be reached, stating:
“There will be an agreement. How close we are remains to be seen. We are prepared to wait until the president gets what he wants. It could take a week, less than a week, or longer. We hope to have something by the start of next week.”
Iranian state media also reported that an agreement appears close but has not yet been finalized. Some reports suggested that Iran could receive access to billions of dollars in frozen funds, a claim that the White House has denied.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
