Iran war: Donald Trump says deal 'largely negotiated'
What you need to know
- US President Donald Trump says a deal with Iran is close but is still 'subject to finalization'
- Trump says the draft agreement will include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran, however, says Trump's claims are 'incomplete and inconsistent with reality'
Here is a roundup of the latest developments from the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Sunday, May 24:
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Skip next section IN DEPTH: Why is Trump blaming the Kurds?05/24/2026May 24, 2026IN DEPTH: Why is Trump blaming the Kurds?
Omid BarinDonald Trump says Kurdish forces kept US weapons meant for Iranian protesters, allegations Kurdish leaders categorically deny. Analysts say the president is scapegoating the groups to make up for his own policy failures.
Learn more about what Trump has claimed about Kurdish forces in recent months in our report.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EFMhSkip next section Draft agreement includes 60-day ceasefire extension: reports05/24/2026May 24, 2026Draft agreement includes 60-day ceasefire extension: reports
A draft proposal, which is being termed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and which is close to being agreed upon by Iran and the US, includes a 60-day extension of the ceasefire that was first reached in April, according to US media outlet Axios.
What points are reportedly in the draft agreement?
- During the extended truce, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened with no tolls in place
- The US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports
- The US would remove some sanctions on Iran to allow it to freely sell oil
- The deal includes commitments from Iran that it will never try to obtain nuclear weapons
- US forces mobilized to the region will remain for the 60-day extension and will only withdraw once a permanent deal is reached
- The draft MoU also calls for an end to the war between Israel and Iran-backed, Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah
IN DEPTH: In Iran, internet access becomes a luxury for the few
Shabnam von HeinDespite the ongoing internet blockade in Iran, access to "Internet-Pro" is available to select groups for a fee. Access to information and communication is increasingly becoming a luxury.
Read more about how getting online in Iran is now only affordable to a select few in this report by DW's Shabnam von Hein.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EFMgSkip next section WATCH: The hidden toll of the US-Israeli war on Iran05/24/2026May 24, 2026WATCH: The hidden toll of the US-Israeli war on Iran
Has its war with the United States and Israel worsened the human rights situation in Iran? Amnesty International has documented a spike in executions in the country, carried out under the cover of war.
Amnesty's Iran researcher Raha Bahreini tells DW how the regime is increasingly using the death penalty to crush dissent.
She says there is a "strategy of fear and repression" behind Iran's frequent "politically motivated" executions, adding that the release of political prisoners should be a key demand in US-Iran negotiations to end the war.
The hidden toll of the US-Israeli war on Iran
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https://p.dw.com/p/5EFKvSkip next section Pakistan's Sharif welcomes Trump call, says he hopes talks resume 'very soon'05/24/2026May 24, 2026Pakistan's Sharif welcomes Trump call, says he hopes talks resume 'very soon'
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he hopes to be able to host a new round of talks between the US and Iran "very soon."
Pakistan has been mediating between the two sides, hosting in-person talks in Islamabad in April.
But while the negotiations yielded a fragile ceasefire, talks have failed to progress further, with the US and Iran seemingly deadlocked.
"Pakistan will continue its peace efforts with utmost sincerity and we hope to host the next round of talks very soon," Sharif said on X.
The Pakistani prime minister said a phone call between several leaders from the Middle East and the US president had "provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on the current regional situation and how to move the ongoing peace efforts forward to bring lasting peace in the region."
https://p.dw.com/p/5EFMfSkip next section Iran says it will retain control of Strait of Hormuz05/24/2026May 24, 2026Iran says it will retain control of Strait of Hormuz
Iran said Sunday that it would continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump said a draft agreement included the reopening of the crucial waterway.
Iranian state media also dismissed Trump's claim that the deal was "largely negotiated" as "incomplete and inconsistent with reality."
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei had described the draft proposal as a "framework agreement" that would require a further "30 to 60 days" to discuss further details before a "final agreement is reached."
A fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies flowed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war.
Iran effectively closed the strategic passage shortly after the US and Israel launched their joint operation against Iran in late February.
In recent weeks, Tehran and Washington have imposed reciprocal naval blockades in the Strait.
The effective closure of Hormuz has severely disrupted global energy supplies, causing oil prices to surge and stock markets to plummet.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EFKuSkip next section Trump says 'largely negotiated' deal includes Strait of Hormuz reopening05/24/2026May 24, 2026Trump says 'largely negotiated' deal includes Strait of Hormuz reopening
US President Donald Trump has said that a deal to end the war with Iran has been "largely negotiated."
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said the draft agreement includes opening the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed since the outbreak of the war.
"In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened," Trump said, without specifying what the deal's "other elements" entailed.
"An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries," Trump said in the social media post.
The US president said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as Turkey and Pakistan. He added that he had spoken separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly," Trump said, without providing an exact timeline.
Trump's optimistic statement came hours after he had told US outlet Axios that the chance of a deal was a "solid 50/50" while threatening to blow Iran "to kingdom come" if the talks fail.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EFKtSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/24/2026May 24, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Karl Sexton | Dmytro Hubenko EditorAfter nearly three months of stalled talks and frustration with Iran, US President Donald Trump struck an optimistic note on Saturday, suggesting a deal was close to being agreed.
While Iran acknowledged that a "framework agreement" was in place, it warned that significant gaps still stand in the way of a permanent resolution to the conflict.
If confirmed, the deal would end a more than 12-week impasse that has seen Pakistan-mediated negotiations make little to no progress.
The US and Iran have been deadlocked since agreeing to a ceasefire in early April.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest on the talks between Washington and Tehran, as well as other developments from the Middle East.
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