“An agreement has been largely negotiated.”
That was Donald Trump’s message as behind the scenes talks around Iran moved deeper into what officials are describing as the most serious peace effort since the war between Iran, the US, and Israel exploded earlier this year.
According to reports, Trump has now circulated a draft agreement to Israel and several Middle Eastern allies while negotiators continue arguing over the final language and conditions.
The proposed deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, ease some economic restrictions on Iran, and begin a fresh round of negotiations around Tehran’s nuclear activities.
But even with talks moving forward, the atmosphere around the negotiations still feels fragile.
One official familiar with discussions described the situation bluntly.
“Everybody wants a deal until the details arrive.”
Under the draft framework, Iran would reportedly allow commercial ships to move normally again through the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, while the US would begin lifting parts of the naval pressure around Iranian ports. Negotiators are also discussing access to billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
The agreement would initially last 60 days while larger nuclear negotiations continue.
Vice President JD Vance said the US and Iran were “not there yet” but admitted both sides appear closer than they were weeks ago.
That alone marks a major shift after months of missile strikes, attacks around shipping routes, and growing fears that the conflict could spread across the region.
In Israel, the proposal has reportedly created unease among some officials who believe the terms may give Iran too much room, especially around uranium enrichment and regional influence.
Republican hawks inside Washington are also pushing back.
“If a deal is struck because the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected, then Iran will be perceived as dominant,” Senator Lindsey Graham warned while criticizing the direction of negotiations.
Still, pressure for some kind of settlement has been building across the Middle East.
Countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates have all reportedly pushed Trump toward a ceasefire framework as fears over oil disruption and wider instability kept rising.
In Gulf states, the economic anxiety became impossible to ignore after shipping routes were threatened repeatedly and energy markets reacted sharply to the fighting.
A shipping analyst based in Dubai, Kareem Al Hashmi, said businesses across the region have been watching the talks nervously.
“Everybody understands what happens if Hormuz stays unstable too long.”
Iran, meanwhile, is still insisting on several conditions of its own.
Officials in Tehran continue demanding sanctions relief and recognition of what they call Iran’s sovereign rights, including its ability to enrich uranium under certain conditions.
That remains one of the biggest unresolved points.
Trump himself has continued sending mixed signals publicly. Some days he says negotiations are close. Other times he warns military action could resume quickly if talks fail.
“I can outwait Iran,” Trump said earlier this week during a cabinet meeting.
For now, the draft agreement is still being revised and no final approval has been announced.
But after months of war, damaged oil routes, regional panic, and pressure from allies trying to prevent something even larger, the fact that Israel, Iran, Gulf states, and Washington are all discussing the same document at the same time already says something important.
Nobody seems fully comfortable with this deal.
But many appear even less comfortable with what happens if there is no deal at all.
