WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump failed to reach a decision regarding a potential peace deal with Iran during a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday, May 29, 2026.
An unnamed White House official told AFP after the meeting that the administration would reject any agreement that failed to meet specific American conditions. Okay News reports that the official said, “President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines.”
The official also stated that “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.” Trump had previously outlined his terms in a social media post, demanding that Tehran permanently cease nuclear weapons development and reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane without charging tolls, in exchange for the United States lifting its parallel blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran rejected several elements of the American characterization of the negotiations, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stating that “Iran said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago.” Baqaei told state media that no final agreement has been reached and that no negotiations are currently occurring regarding the nuclear program.
The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the Emir of Qatar in a telephone call that Iran remains prepared to achieve a “dignified framework” to end the conflict. Meanwhile, sources cited by the Fars news agency stated that Tehran is demanding “the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets” before proceeding to the next phase of negotiations.
Tensions remained elevated near the Strait of Hormuz, where Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating a truce this week following US military strikes on the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and subsequent Iranian retaliatory fire. Iranian state television reported on Friday that 24 ships transited the waterway within a 24-hour period, though the network warned that vessels from hostile nations would face a severe military response.
In a related conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Friday that his military forces had advanced deeper into Lebanon, while the Iran-backed group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for drone attacks targeting military targets in northern Israel. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that 11 people, including a rescuer, were killed during heavy Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon on Friday.
