WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post Wednesday morning it is “too soon” to start thinking about face-to-face peace talks between the US and Iran, despite optimistic reports the two nations are closing in on a potential framework to end their 67-day war.
Asked whether The Post should prepare to send a reporter back to Pakistan for a new round of negotiations after Islamabad sources indicated a tentative peace deal was close, the president responded: “I don’t think so.”
“I think we’ll do it — it’s too far,” he added. “No, it’s too much.”
Moments earlier, Trump had posted on Truth Social that “[a]ssuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Trump has previously said he would be open to travel to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement out of respect for the efforts of Pakistan defense chief Asim Munir to bring Washington and Tehran together.
The president’s reality check comes after Axios reported that White House officials believe they are close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page proposal of principles that could become a final peace deal.
The outlet reported the document involved “Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions” on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, The Post understands multiple versions of the proposal are under discussion, and final points to be included had not yet been decided.
“Which one is going to be approved, no one knows,” said a Pakistani source familiar with mediation efforts.
A second Islamabad source said the biggest hangup between the two sides is the question of how soon Iran can begin enriching uranium again, whether after five years, 20 years — or never.
“The main hurdle is the duration of enrichment restrictions,” the source said. “There is no final deal yet.”
Trump has previously told The Post he did not want to offer Iran any chance to restart uranium enrichment, but rather demanded that they never have the opportunity to pursue a nuclear weapon again.
Also in dispute, according to the second Pakistani source, is the extent to which the US could ease “some sanctions and release frozen assets,” as well as whether “Hormuz de-escalation and shipping restoration [is] planned.”
A further question looms over the fate of Iran’s stash of highly enriched uranium — buried deep underground following the June 2025 US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The president has said Iran cannot keep the material, but Iran does not want to hand it over to the Americans.
Iran has previously approached Russia with the idea that nuclear-capable Moscow could take the leftover uranium, but that crosses a red line for Trump, who insisted Wednesday that Washington would receive the material.
“We’re going to get it,” he told a reporter as he departed a Mother’s Day event at the White House.
If a framework agreement is reached, a 30-day window for detailed negotiations to finalize a deal is also being pitched.
Reports of progress in negotiations come after Trump on Tuesday evening announced an abrupt pause on “Project Freedom,” which saw the US military force open the Strait of Hormuz by escorting commercial ships.
The president made the decision to stop the program at the behest of Pakistan and “other countries” — including Saudi Arabia — who reportedly told Trump the gesture could help facilitate an end to the war.
“Pakistan has been engaged from the outset because it understands a simple reality: regional stability feeds directly into global stability,” a source close to the Pakistani government told The Post. “Any escalation in this space doesn’t stay contained, so there is a clear incentive for responsible actors to step in early and quietly.”
“If there is talk of a ‘deal,’ it likely reflects this quiet convergence: de-escalation first, then opening space for something more structured. Pakistan’s role, in that sense, is less about headlines and more about keeping that possibility alive,” the person added.
The president abruptly ended his call with The Post Wednesday morning, saying he had an appointment with “the generals.”
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