Trump Shocker: Iran Peace Deal Imminent This Sunday?

US President Donald Trump made a significant announcement on Saturday, just ahead of his attendance at the highly anticipated G7 summit in Évian, stating that a peace deal with Iran could be finalized on Sunday. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, "The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL." He further added that the United States would take Iran's enriched uranium 'dust' once "all is calm."

However, Trump's assertive statement was met with a conflicting report from Iran's foreign ministry. State media indicated earlier the same day that the proposed deal would not, in fact, be signed on Sunday. This stood in contrast to comments made by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, writing on X, expressed optimism on Saturday, stating, "We are closer to a peace deal than ever before," and suggesting a deal was likely within the next 24 hours.

Accompanying his announcement, Trump also issued a stern warning to the Islamic Republic, demanding full implementation of the plan to avoid "serious consequences." He wrote, "Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!" This alluded to potential military options remaining on the table. Throughout the preceding negotiations, Iran has consistently asserted its right to enrich uranium, a key point of contention. Notably, Trump's post omitted any mention of Israel and the ongoing war in Lebanon, or the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, both of which had been primary demands from the Iranian leadership for any peace agreement. Another crucial Iranian demand has been an assurance that the US and Israel would never again attack Iran.

Despite the warnings, Trump appeared to extend an olive branch to the Iranian leadership, remarking that the "relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous administrations had," and expressing anticipation to "working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future." This signaled a notable shift in US messaging following prior threatening statements. His use of "hopefully" when wishing for a swift and smooth process acknowledged the complexities of the peace negotiations.

The upcoming G7 summit, scheduled to take place in Évian from June 15-17, is expected to be dominated by discussions on the status of US-Iran talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, alongside the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. A senior administration official confirmed that President Trump would participate in a G7 working session with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in France. However, a bilateral meeting between the two leaders is not scheduled. This comes as Trump has reportedly shifted his attention away from efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February.

Beyond the critical discussions, Trump's agenda at the G7 summit includes bilateral meetings on the sidelines with French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as with the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and India. Following the summit's conclusion, Trump is scheduled to dine with Macron at the Versailles palace west of Paris on Wednesday evening. Macron's office stated that this dinner would commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, celebrating a "landmark of Franco-American friendship where the treaty establishing the independence of the United States was signed in 1783."