The president said negotiations with Tehran are nearing completion, crediting a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports with increasing pressure as disputes over Lebanon remain unresolved.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. President Donald Trump said June 9 that negotiations between Washington and Tehran had entered their final stage, signaling that a deal intended to permanently prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons could be completed within days while also clearing the way for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen.
Speaking to reporters at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Trump said the United States was close to reaching what he described as a stronger alternative to a widened military campaign. His remarks followed a weekend of renewed missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, which raised concerns that months of diplomatic efforts could collapse into a broader regional war.
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“If we do the bombing, you know a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don’t,“ Trump said. ”We’ll have a signed document that’s actually stronger than doing the bombing.”
Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and described the conversation as “very good.” According to Trump, Netanyahu agreed for now to avoid further escalation with Iran after both countries stepped back from their most direct confrontation since an April ceasefire.
“He was hit, and he hit back, and I can’t blame him for that,” Trump said. “But he was hit, he hit back, and now they’ve called it quits. So they’re going to just leave each other alone for another week or something.”
The president said the pending agreement would address two central U.S. objectives: blocking Iran from developing nuclear weapons and restoring free movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
“The Strait will open up right away. It will open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days,” he said.
Trump said the proposed deal would make clear that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
“We are in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons,” Trump said.
Iranian officials also indicated that talks were continuing. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told reporters in New York that both sides were still working through language for a final agreement framework.
“We have not received to a final document, but we are pursuing to receive it,” Iravani said in response to a question from The Associated Press after speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on June 8.
Asked whether an agreement could be completed before the end of June, Iravani said, “We hope so. We hope so.”
Iranian officials have said the negotiations, mediated through Pakistan, are focused on completing a memorandum of understanding that would end the conflict and address maritime access and regional security. Despite those discussions, Tehran has continued restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, fueling volatility in energy markets and concern over wider economic consequences.
Trump said pressure from a U.S.-led blockade of Iranian ports had helped move Tehran toward a deal. He argued that the blockade had produced stronger results than a prolonged bombing campaign would have delivered, particularly if the goal is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz quickly.
“I think we’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” Trump said.
“If we go and bomb, which we can do very easily, if we want, and we spend another two or three weeks bombing, they’ll have nothing left whatsoever, but you won’t have the Strait open for months.
“What has proven to be a very powerful thing is the blockade. The blockade’s turned out to be much stronger than bombing.”
In mid-April, the U.S. military expanded the naval blockade to include vessels linked to Tehran and carrying contraband items considered supportive of Iran’s military or war-sustaining economy. Those items included dual-use goods such as industrial materials and electronics.
Trump said Iran’s economy was “really suffering” because of the restrictions and predicted Tehran would eventually accept the agreement.
During a separate tele-rally appearance for Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Trump said the United States was nearing what he called “total victory” over Iran and predicted that an agreement would affect oil prices.
“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. … We’ve been a very tough team, and I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory,” he said. “It’ll happen very soon, and oil prices will come tumbling down.”
While U.S. and Iranian officials have pointed to progress, Lebanon remains a major obstacle. Israel has continued operations against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group, even as Iran has said it is suspending attacks on Israel.
Iran warned Monday that additional Israeli strikes in Lebanon would bring a renewed and more severe response. Iran’s military said it had delivered a “painful response” to Israel in support of Lebanon and warned that “far more severe and crushing measures” would follow if Israeli operations continued.
Iravani said Monday that the ceasefire was comprehensive and applied across the region, including Lebanon. Israel has rejected that interpretation.
Netanyahu has signaled support for avoiding further direct conflict with Iran, but Israeli officials have said the campaign against Hezbollah will continue. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not allow its Lebanon operations to be tied to a ceasefire arrangement with Tehran and warned that Hezbollah attacks would bring further strikes against Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings June 9 for parts of Tyre, a city in Lebanon, ahead of possible operations. Israel also continued strikes against targets it described as linked to Hezbollah.
The disagreement over Lebanon has become one of the most significant unresolved issues in the talks. Iran has repeatedly said any lasting settlement must include an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Israeli officials have maintained that Hezbollah represents a separate security threat that cannot be resolved through negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has helped mediate talks, urged restraint as negotiators work toward a possible agreement.
“The recent surge in violence in the Middle East is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire,” Sharif wrote in a post on X. “As we work earnestly and painstakingly … to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict, and especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved, we sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance.”
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