US and Iran have ‘makings of a deal,’ Bessent says

Alexander WardLaurence NormanSummer Said, The Wall Street Journal
5 min read29 May 2026, 06:31 AM IST
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Vessel traffic last week in the Strait of Hormuz.
Summary
The agreement, which still needs President Trump’s approval, includes a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian pledges to curtail some nuclear work.

The U.S. and Iran are within reach of an agreement to wind down the war, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Thursday, but President Trump has yet to sign off on it, and the White House wants a deal that satisfies several key conditions.

“We perhaps have the makings of a deal here,” Bessent said from the White House, noting both sides have been swapping proposals. “Everything depends on what the president wants to do, and President Trump is not going to make a bad deal.”

Bessent said Iran must agree to dispose of its highly enriched uranium, commit to never seek a nuclear weapon and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz—elements U.S. officials previously said would be in the so-called memorandum of understanding.

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