While Trump's team negotiated an Iran agreement during Memorial Day weekend, his public statements on social media appeared inconsistent with those diplomatic efforts. The process began on Saturday evening after a telephone conversation with 10 leaders from Arab nations during widespread inquiries regarding the negotiations' status.
Trump stated on Truth Social that a peace agreement with Iran had been mostly finalized and would be made public soon, prompting journalists to prepare coverage plans, though no formal announcement followed. Within a day, Trump reversed his earlier position.
The administration has issued inconsistent public statements regarding the conflict since military operations commenced on Feb. 28, even as the phrase shifted from "largely negotiated" to "not even fully negotiated yet." The president first stated Iran's military capacity had been destroyed, but government reports later indicated Iran was recovering its weapons stockpile.
The president proposed a Strait of Hormuz maritime security plan in early May, which senior officials supported, though it was pulled back less than two days later after regional partners raised concerns, network reports stated.
Over the weekend, as peace negotiations progressed with unclear outcomes, Tehran stated that Washington had breached the ceasefire agreement and indicated potential countermeasures following recent strikes that Washington characterized as protective actions. No immediate response was provided by the White House regarding the social media messages.
As of Sunday morning, no updates regarding the negotiations had been provided by the president, though he commented on the 2015 agreement with Iran that aimed to limit nuclear weapons development in return for sanctions relief. Trump described the agreement as among the poorest arrangements ever negotiated, though the accord required Iran to reduce its enriched uranium reserves by 97% and its centrifuges by 70% during the Obama administration.
The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Tehran departed from agreement obligations following the U.S. exit from the accord.
Early Monday, the president issued another statement that provided no update on negotiations, leaving uncertain the agreement that reportedly neared completion late last week. Trump stated that the agreement with Iran would either prove substantial and effective or would not materialize, reiterating his position that the Obama administration's accord provided Iran a pathway to nuclear weapons capability, despite international verification confirming Iran had fulfilled its disarmament obligations before the United States exited the agreement. According to the IAEA, Iran's uranium enrichment activities and stockpile levels increased following the United States' withdrawal from the agreement.
Two hours afterwards, the president expressed confidence through a statement noting that negotiations were advancing positively, and announced that all ten Arab countries involved in the talks were now expected to enter the normalization agreement between Israel and five other nations, including the UAE, though Egypt and Jordan already maintain diplomatic ties with Israel that existed before this framework.
Trump stated that failure to secure an agreement would result in a return to military operations with enhanced capabilities. According to reports from NBC News, ammunition supplies have diminished following the operation that began on February 28, with analysts indicating the Pentagon's capacity to maintain extended Middle East operations depends on restocking. By mid-May, the Defense Department had not awarded contracts to restore ammunition stockpiles described as depleted.
By the close of Memorial Day, the president proposed an alternative arrangement: Tehran's enriched uranium would be transferred to Washington and either dismantled on Iranian soil in partnership with Iranian authorities or eliminated at another agreed site under supervision from the Atomic Energy Commission or a comparable agency, though that commission was dissolved over five decades ago. Trump did not specify which agency he was referencing, though it may have been the International Atomic Energy Agency. No comment was available from the administration regarding the matter.
At an Arlington National Cemetery ceremony marking Memorial Day, the president stated that service members sacrificed themselves to prevent a nation identified as a leading sponsor of terrorism from obtaining nuclear capabilities. This will not happen. Nuclear weapons will not be acquired by them. The crowd responded with applause to the statement.
Following the extended holiday period, uncertainty persisted regarding whether the negotiations would incorporate Iran's nuclear material or residual radioactive substances, and whether an agreement would be reached at all.