US President Donald Trump on Sunday tempered expectations of an imminent agreement with Iran, saying he had instructed American negotiators “not to rush into a deal” despite earlier indications from senior US officials that a breakthrough to end the three-month Middle East conflict could be close.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were proceeding in an “orderly and constructive manner” but stressed that “time is on our side”. He said the US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports and shipping routes would remain in place until a final agreement was “reached, certified and signed”.

The comments came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that a framework agreement could emerge within days. Speaking during

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Trump slows push for Iran deal

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a visit to India, Rubio said there was a possibility that “the world will get some good news” soon, though he later cautioned that a nuclear agreement could not be concluded “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin” because of the technical complexity involved.

Washington and Tehran have observed a fragile ceasefire since April 8 following weeks of conflict that began after US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. The confrontation disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, prompting the United States to impose a blockade on Iranian ports after Tehran tightened controls over Gulf shipping.

Trump earlier claimed that a memorandum of understanding between the United States, Iran and several regional countries had been “largely negotiated”, with final details still under discussion. He reiterated that any agreement under his administration would differ sharply from the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated during former president Barack Obama’s tenure, which he again criticised as one of the “worst deals ever made”.

The US president insisted Iran would not be allowed to develop or acquire nuclear weapons under any future agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said he and Trump agreed that any final settlement must “eliminate the nuclear threat entirely”, while an Israeli official said Washington remained committed to dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme and removing enriched uranium from Iranian territory before signing any deal.

Despite the cautious tone from Washington, signs of diplomatic progress continued to emerge from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Tehran and Washington were moving closer to a “memorandum of understanding” composed of 14 clauses, focused primarily on ending the war, lifting the naval blockade and securing the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad under sanctions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained prepared to assure the world that it was not seeking nuclear weapons, although Iranian officials indicated that detailed negotiations over uranium enrichment and the country’s nuclear programme would likely continue for at least 60 days after any preliminary agreement.

According to Iranian media reports, Washington has discussed partially releasing Iranian funds frozen overseas and temporarily easing sanctions on oil, gas and petrochemical exports during the negotiation period. In return, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would gradually return to pre-war levels under Iranian management.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously, said Iran had agreed “in principle” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eventually dispose of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, although “practical considerations” regarding implementation remained unresolved. The official said negotiations on the mechanics of dismantling parts of Iran’s nuclear programme would require additional time.

The evolving diplomacy has triggered mixed reactions in Washington. Several Republican lawmakers aligned with Trump voiced concern that the administration could concede too much ground to Tehran. They warned that a prolonged ceasefire could undermine military gains achieved during the conflict.

Meanwhile, regional diplomacy intensified as leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Pakistan joined a telephone call with Trump to discuss ongoing negotiations and broader regional stability.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan hoped to host the next round of US-Iran talks “very soon”. He said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir represented Pakistan during the call after concluding what officials described as a “short but highly productive” visit to Tehran.

The prime minister praised President Trump’s “extraordinary” efforts to pursue peace and said the discussions among regional leaders had provided an opportunity to move peace initiatives forward toward “lasting peace in the region”.

Iranian officials also acknowledged Pakistan’s role in facilitating communication between Tehran and Washington. Baqaei said the Pakistani delegation’s visit was part of continued message exchanges between the two sides and that negotiations appeared to be moving “toward a convergence of views”.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, tensions remained visible on the ground. In a rare public appearance broadcast by Iranian state media, Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s central military command, said the country remained on a “war footing” and that its armed forces were fully prepared to confront any threat.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also remained significantly below normal levels. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said only 33 vessels had passed through the strait during the previous 24 hours, compared with roughly 140 ships daily before the conflict erupted.