Trump Hails Tentative Iran Peace Deal but Rules Out In-Person Signing

President Donald Trump praised a tentative peace deal in progress with Iran but said in-person truce signings remain too far off.

"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before."

Trump told media outlets he does not think there should be any imminent plans to travel to the Middle East for peace deal talks or a denuclearization signing. "It’s too far," he told the New York Post on Wednesday morning. "No, it’s too much."

Trump has criticized his peace negotiators traveling to the Middle East for ceasefire or peace proposals. He repeated in the past week that talks with him and his administration can be done telephonically for now. "I think we’ll do it" over the phone, Trump has said.

Trump's post came as reports indicated Washington and Tehran were nearing a framework to end their 67-day war, with Pakistan mediating. He said he met with military officials Wednesday morning amid announcements of an end to Operation Epic Fury before the 60-day Authorization of Military Force deadline this week.

Trump also announced a pause to Project Freedom, a mission he launched two days earlier to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. "Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," he wrote Tuesday night on Truth Social.

Trump has said he would consider traveling to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement, noting the role of Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir in bringing the sides together.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday. During a White House daily press briefing standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, Rubio told reporters, "They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they're going." He added that it is difficult to assess Iran's scattered leadership in hiding because some regime hardliners are insane.

Trump declined to specify what would trigger renewed military operations against Iran. "They know what not to do," he said Tuesday.

Iran’s president has said surrender to unilateral demands is impossible. But Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Iranian news Wednesday that some leaders are considering the U.S. proposal. "The US proposal is still being considered by Iran, and after summarizing its points of view, Iran will convey its views to the Pakistani side," Hamaneh added.