Axios reports former President Trump likely could have struck a preliminary deal
with Iran in late May if he had accepted terms negotiated by his team, but after
a May 29 White House Situation Room meeting he added two conditions that delayed
agreement. The new demands were that Iran begin downblending its
enriched-uranium stockpile within 60 days and pledge not to levy transit fees on
vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was willing to accept the
downblending to occur inside Iran under IAEA supervision. Iran’s foreign
minister told mediators and U.S. officials he needed four to five days to
respond, but the pause extended to nearly two weeks. During the delay, Iran
sought partial release of frozen assets before implementing obligations, while
Trump insisted obligations be met first; U.S. domestic criticism of Trump’s
approach also intensified.
