President Donald Trump declared early Monday that Iran “really wants” to reach an agreement to end their three-month-old war, hours after the United States and Iran exchanged military strikes over the weekend and Kuwait reported intercepting incoming drones and missiles. Trump made the remarks in a post on his Truth Social platform shortly after midnight on June 1.
The renewed military exchanges came as negotiations over a deal to extend a fragile ceasefire remained stalled, with no agreement announced despite days of intensive talks.
The United States bombed Iranian radar and drone control sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American MQ-1 Predator drone over the weekend, the U.S. military said Monday. The U.S. military said its strikes targeted locations in Goruk and on the island of Qeshm, calling them acts of self-defense. Iran said it responded by targeting the source of a U.S. strike on a telecommunications tower.
“Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He added: “Don’t the Dumocrats, and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans, understand that it is MUCH tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate, when political hacks keep negatively ‘chirping,’ at levels never seen before, over and over again, that I should move faster, or move slower, or go to war, or not go to war, or whatever.”
Trump told critics to “just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end — It always does!”
The ceasefire, which came into effect in early April, has been repeatedly violated by both sides. The dueling attacks reflect the fragility of the weeks-long pause, which has seen repeated exchanges even as American and Iranian officials try to negotiate a deal to extend it.
Kuwait’s air defenses were intercepting missile and drone attacks on Monday, though Kuwaiti authorities did not immediately provide details about the origin of the projectiles or report damage or casualties. Oil prices rose on the news. International benchmark Brent crude futures advanced nearly 3% to $93.74 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 3.3% to $90.20 per barrel on Monday morning.
Negotiations have been dragging for days. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement Thursday to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Iran did not immediately confirm any deal at the time.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed Thursday evening that a tentative agreement existed but said it was unclear whether Trump would approve it. “It’s hard to say exactly when or if the president’s going to sign,” Vance told reporters.
Trump then convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday, saying he would make his “final determination” during that session, but he left without announcing a decision. On Truth Social that same day, Trump listed non-negotiable demands: Iran must agree never to acquire a nuclear weapon, and the Strait of Hormuz must be immediately open to unrestricted shipping traffic in both directions, the president wrote.
Iranian state news outlet Fars pushed back on Trump’s demands, saying they “raised issues that contradict the provisions of the agreement’s text.”
An Axios report published Saturday said Trump had requested further amendments to the latest draft terms. The draft memorandum of understanding includes commitments from Iran to never pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment program and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to a U.S. official. The U.S. would agree to negotiate over lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds during the 60-day period, though those steps would only be implemented as part of a final agreement that is verifiably implemented.
Some Republican lawmakers have balked at aspects of the deal that they say too closely resemble the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by former Democratic President Barack Obama, which Trump scrapped during his first term.
Inside Iran, the political picture is mixed. An Iranian lawmaker urged officials to preserve unity and support the negotiating team despite differing views over talks with the United States. “We may have different views on the negotiations, but we must all help the negotiating team,” Mehrdad Lahouti said. Separately, Iran will apply its own amendments to the draft memorandum of understanding in talks with the United States, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News reported, citing an informed source.
Regional and Global Impact
The deal, if signed, would avoid an escalation of the war and decrease the pressure on the global oil supply, though analysts say it remains unclear whether it would lead to a lasting peace agreement that addresses Trump’s nuclear demands. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has served as a key mediator in talks between Washington and Tehran, congratulated Trump on his “extraordinary efforts to pursue peace,” posting on X. The Trump administration’s effort to de-escalate in Lebanon was partly driven by its push for a deal with Iran, and the memorandum of understanding under negotiation between Washington and Tehran includes an end to fighting in Lebanon, Reuters reported.
Background
The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when Israel and the United States launched a series of strikes against Iran targeting its nuclear and ballistic missile program and seeking regime change. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, and his son was appointed as his successor. Among Iran’s counter-actions was closing the Strait of Hormuz, a major global trade route for goods including fuel and gas. In the first phase of any ceasefire framework, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to its pre-war status with shipping security ensured and provide assurances that it will not pursue nuclear weapons. The conflict followed the failure of indirect talks between the US and Iran and the October 2025 triggering of snapback sanctions against Tehran by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
What Happens Next
Both Trump and the mediators have indicated the deal could be announced imminently, though it has not been finalised and could still fall apart. A second phase, lasting 30 to 60 days, would focus on detailed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and other broader issues, according to a regional source with knowledge of the talks. One regional official said how Iran would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be subject to further talks, with some likely to be diluted and the rest transferred to a third country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed diplomatic efforts between Israel and Lebanon with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation.
