TEHRAN - President Donald Trump keeps shifting the goalposts amid ongoing efforts to finalize a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington to permanently end the US-Israeli war that began on February 28.

Since the April 8 ceasefire paused 39 days of war, Pakistan has led mediation efforts to bring the conflict to a permanent end.
Following the failure of talks in Islamabad on April 11, Iran and the US have exchanged multiple peace proposals, but according to Iranian officials, Washington’s “excessive and unrealistic” demands remain the main obstacle.

Nonetheless, the two sides are seeking to pave the way for signing the MoU. Iran has stressed that, in the first phase of a potential deal with the US, the war must end, while discussions over its nuclear program would be addressed in a second phase.

Iran’s conditions include guarantees of non-aggression, lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports imposed in mid-April, removing US sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets, recognizing Iran’s authority over the Strait of Hormuz, and ending Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Iran’s full control over the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war has sent shockwaves across the world and contributed to rising fuel prices and inflation in the United States.

The US failure to reopen the strategic waterway through military means was among the factors that pushed Trump to engage in diplomacy with Iran.

Nonetheless, Iran says it has no trust in the United States and is negotiating only to secure its national rights and transform its military achievements during the 39-day war into political gains.

Trump’s shifting position 

On Saturday, The New York Times and Axios reported that Trump had toughened the terms of the potential MoU and sent it back to Iran for consideration, although the details remain unclear.

Citing senior administration officials, Axios said Trump, during a Situation Room meeting on Friday, requested several amendments to the deal that his envoys had reached with their Iranian counterparts. According to two sources cited by the outlet, the changes include provisions regarding the disposal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and limits on future enrichment.

Iran has stressed that enrichment is a red line and that it will never relinquish its right to enrich uranium on its own soil. Tehran has also made clear that it will not transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium abroad.

According to a New York Times report, Trump has also expressed concern about provisions in the potential agreement that would involve unfreezing Iranian funds.

Quagmire of war 

Trump has plunged the United States into what many experts describe as a quagmire of war with Iran due to his miscalculations. He is now trying to exit this difficult situation, but appears to be seeking a face-saving way out.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom recently reported that Israeli officials believe regime change in Iran could occur by the end of 2026 if Trump refuses to sign an agreement with Tehran and continues pressure on Iranian ports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands accused of encouraging Trump to go to war with Iran, although the US president denies this. Nonetheless, the Israel Hayom report has once again highlighted the role of Mossad and Netanyahu in emboldening him to launch military action against Iran.

Iran has repeatedly stated that it remains open to diplomacy but will deliver a crushing response to any new act of aggression. Iranian military officials have also warned that a new war would have repercussions extending far beyond West Asia.

Trump’s latest contradictions suggest that he may simply be trying to buy time.

His willingness to engage in diplomacy appears primarily aimed at stabilizing energy prices and financial markets, as well as preventing further increases in fuel prices and inflation in the United States. These policy shifts and contradictory positions have also cast uncertainty over whether even a preliminary understanding can be reached.

Even if Trump signs an MoU with Iran, his ultimate objective may not be a final peace agreement. Rather, he may be seeking to navigate three major challenges: rising prices, particularly in the energy sector; the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup; and the political fallout from the war ahead of the US midterm congressional elections.

Consequently, there is no guarantee that military confrontation would not resume after these challenges have been overcome, even if a preliminary agreement is reached.

On Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, a former chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and a senior advisor to Iran’s Leader, warned that Trump is “betraying diplomacy” for the third time in less than a year.

Tehran and Washington were engaged in negotiations when the United States and Israel attacked Iran three months ago. A similar scenario unfolded in June 2025, when Israel launched a war on Iran while talks between Tehran and Washington were underway, with the United States later joining the conflict.

For this reason, Iranian officials argue that a third war cannot be ruled out. They say Iran’s armed forces remain fully prepared despite ongoing diplomatic engagement, reflecting Tehran’s deep distrust of the United States.