Trump Signals Iran Deal Stalling as Gulf Normalization Demands Complicate Talks

by | May 28, 2026 | News

President Donald Trump

Days after declaring a nuclear agreement with Iran “largely negotiated,” President Donald Trump struck a markedly different tone Wednesday, telling a White House cabinet meeting that the United States is “not satisfied” with the current state of talks.

“Iran wants to make a deal,” Trump said, “but if talks fizzle out, we’ll have to just finish the job.”

The president also introduced a new condition, suggesting the US may not sign any agreement unless Gulf states — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait — normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords. “They owe it to us,” Trump said, arguing that Washington’s decision to launch the war placed those countries in Iran’s crosshairs.

Saudi Arabia quickly reiterated its standing position: normalization with Israel requires an irreversible pathway to Palestinian statehood, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to reject. When pressed on whether Abraham Accords membership would be a hard condition, Trump hedged. “I’m not going to tell you what’s contingent and what’s not,” he said.

The cabinet meeting followed the White House’s forceful denial of an Iranian state media report claiming the US had committed to lifting its naval blockade and withdrawing troops from the region in exchange for Iranian concessions on the Strait of Hormuz. The White House called the reported draft agreement “a complete fabrication.”

Trump reinforced that position directly, insisting the Strait will “open immediately” under any deal — not gradually over a month as the Iranian report described. He also rejected any arrangement granting Iran or Oman control over the waterway. “It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it.”

In a notable aside, Trump threatened Oman, a longtime regional mediator: “They’ll behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “some progress” had been made, while leaving military options on the table. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued Tehran’s willingness to negotiate reflects weakness following the US-Israeli offensive, claiming Iran can no longer manufacture new missiles, drones, or ships.

A fragile ceasefire has held since April 8, following the outbreak of war on February 28. Trump maintained he will only accept a “great deal” — though he acknowledged that right now, “maybe not a great deal” is what’s available.

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