Trump Bullish on Iran Deal, but Uncertainty Remains

President Donald Trump and his administration hailed a ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday morning—despite uncertainty about the terms and durability of the peace.

“The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change!” wrote Trump in a Wednesday social media post. 

The president added that “there will be no enrichment of Uranium” in Iran.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, speaking in the past tense, called the joint military operation with Israel a “historic and overwhelming victory” at a Wednesday morning Pentagon press conference.

Trump’s statement came after he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, as well as to negotiations based on a 10-point plan from Iran and a 15-point plan from the United States.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyed Abbas Araghchi concurrently announced that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” a major waterway for the global oil trade, will be possible for two weeks “via coordination with Iran’s armed forces.”

A verified X account of the Iranian embassy in India posted what it claimed were Iran’s ten conditions for peace, which included “Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz,” the lifting of all U.S. sanctions, compensation to Iran for war damages, and “Withdrawal of US combat forces from the region.”

The price of oil plummeted on Wednesday following the announcement of the ceasefire.

The president, asked Wednesday morning about the idea of Iran charging tolls for passage through the strait, replied to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, “We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It’s a way of securing it—also securing it from lots of other people.”

The path toward peace in the region remains uncertain, as Israel continued strikes in Lebanon while Gulf States reported attacks from Iran.

On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence announced it had received Iranian missile and drone attacks since the announcement of the ceasefire.

Additionally, Israel continued to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, with the Israeli Defence Force calling it “the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.”

Hegseth acknowledged that there could be a delay in the news of a ceasefire reaching some Iranian forces.

“Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot,” Hegseth said. “It takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold. We’re watching it.”

Congress remains out of session, but some members weighed in with statements Wednesday morning.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed on X his hope for negotiations that would deprive Iran of the ability to build a nuclear weapon.

“The last thing I’m interested in is for Iran to be able to save face. I’m interested in a deal that will stop their maniacal drive to a nuclear weapon among other things,” he wrote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., continued to put the president on blast, and called for the passage of a Senate war powers resolution to prevent further military action.

“Trump is a military moron,” he wrote.

“His war, with a price tag of $44 billion and $4+ gas, made us worse off today than we were when he started it. And if he restarts this war we will be in even worse shape. We must pass our War Powers Resolution to end this war for good.”

Hegseth suggested that depriving Iran of the potential to build a nuclear weapon remains a priority for the U.S.

“It’s always been non-negotiable that they won’t have nuclear capabilities,” he said, adding of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, “right now it’s buried, we’re watching it, we know exactly what they have, and they know that.”

“What the new Iranian regime knows is they’ll never have a nuclear weapon or the capability to get a path to one,” he added. 

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