US-Iran negotiations reach a critical tug-of-war: Trump temporarily changes agreement, signing time unpredictable again

The Iran nuclear negotiations have entered a critical phase of the game. After reviewing the draft agreement reached by its negotiators with Iran, Trump demanded modifications to several clauses, leading to a new round of back-and-forth tug-of-war in the negotiations, making the timetable for signing the agreement unclear. According to CCTV news, on May 30, local time, multiple U.S. officials revealed that President Trump has significantly modified and tightened the provisions of the non-binding memorandum of understanding that aims to end the U.S.-Iran conflict. The modified content has been submitted to Iran for review. According to a senior government official and another source, Trump proposed modifications at an intelligence briefing meeting last Friday, with a focus on the arrangements for the disposal of Iranian nuclear material. A White House official later stated that Trump "will only sign an agreement that benefits the United States, meets his red lines, and ensures that Iran can never have nuclear weapons." The officials revealed that Iran needs about three days to respond to the modification requests, and the finalization of the agreement "might take a week or longer." Some analysts believe that Trump's modifications are partly tactical by proposing tougher terms, he is pressuring Iran to accept the original framework that was reviewed by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. However, reports also point out that any textual changes may cause further delays. Core content of the draft: 60-day window, key issues unresolved According to sources, the current memorandum of understanding includes Iran's commitment not to seek nuclear weapons, but does not involve specific concessions. The draft sets a 60-day negotiation window to agree on Iran's nuclear commitments and the U.S. sanctions relief arrangements, with initial issues including how to handle Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and limit further enrichment activities. The broader goal of this framework is to stop U.S. military actions against Iran in exchange for Iran lifting its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz - a crucial passage for global oil and gas transportation. The strait remained open for normal navigation before the bombing operation on February 28 this year. Some thorny issues, such as the long-term direction of Iran's nuclear program, will be postponed for subsequent negotiations to address. Trump presents two major modifications According to two sources, Trump's requested modifications mainly focus on two aspects: the specific arrangements for enriched uranium disposal, including how the U.S. will obtain relevant nuclear materials and the timeline; and the wording regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Reportedly, Trump has concerns about provisions in the draft related to unfreezing Iranian funds and has publicly criticized the Obama administration for similar actions in the Iran nuclear agreement over a decade ago. Iranian state media had previously reported that Iran would receive billions of dollars in frozen funds, but the White House denied this. Limited communication channels make negotiation rhythm unpredictable The progress of this round of negotiations has become more complex due to limited communication channels. A senior government official stated that Iranian negotiators "are in a cave, they don't use email," causing significant delays in information transmission. The negotiation process relies on intermediaries, including Pakistan, to coordinate, and delivering the modified text to Mojtaba Khamenei himself is a major challenge. Regarding this, the senior official stated: "A deal will be reached, as for when, we wait and see. We are willing to wait to ensure the President gets the outcome he wants." The White House has not responded to this matter. This article is reprinted from "Wall Street See", GMTEight editor: Chen Siyu.