Trump says Iran agreed not to develop or buy nuclear weapons

President Donald Trump said the United States is demanding that Iran be prohibited from developing or purchasing nuclear weapons as part of any deal — and claimed Tehran has agreed to both conditions.

Speaking May 30 local time on a Fox News program hosted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, the president said he intends to reach a deal. "I will make a deal because I can open the Strait of Hormuz immediately upon signing," he said. "The one guarantee we have to have is no nuclear weapons."

Trump said Iran has accepted that demand, but added that he had pushed for broader language. "They originally said they wouldn't develop nuclear weapons, and I said, 'What if you buy nuclear weapons?' And now they're saying they won't develop or purchase military weapons in any way," he said. "That's a big difference."

Trump also said he is in no rush. "Slowly but surely, we're getting what we want," he said, adding that if a deal cannot be reached, he would "end it another way" — a renewed signal that military strikes remain an option if negotiations collapse.

Earlier, The New York Times and other American outlets reported that Trump had declined to approve a draft memorandum of understanding reached between the two sides and had sent it back to Iran with additional conditions. The specific changes were not disclosed, though Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran also plans to submit a revised counterproposal.