Trump's Meet With Aides Ends Without "Final Determination"

US President Donald Trump's high-stakes meeting with national security aides concluded without a "final determination" on a potential deal to end the three-month-old war with Iran. 

Despite declaring on Truth Social ahead of the session that he was entering the White House Situation Room to make a final decision, a senior administration official confirmed that the two-hour meeting wrapped up on May 29, 2026, without a final sign-off.

The Core Sticking Points

While US officials maintain that Washington and Tehran are close to finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend a fragile ceasefire by 60 days, significant hurdles remain: 

• Financial Disagreements: Iran is reportedly conditioning its compliance on the immediate unfreezing of $12 billion in assets, whereas Trump explicitly stated on social media that "no money will be exchanged, until further notice".
• The Nuclear Conflict: Trump demanded that the US unearth and destroy Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile. Conversely, Iran's Foreign Ministry publicly pushed back, stating they are strictly focused on ending the war and are not currently negotiating on their nuclear programme.
• Strait of Hormuz Reopening: While Trump outlined plans to lift the US naval blockade and dismantle sea mines, Iran claimed that future management of the critical shipping corridor is exclusively an issue between Iran and Oman.

Participants & Next Steps

The White House session included high-level figures such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Though the administration insists a deal is close, top Iranian negotiators have emphasized deep distrust, stating that "no step will be taken before the other side acts". As a result, the tentative framework remains in limbo.