'Significant movement here in Washington': US and Iran report progress towards deal on ending war

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Let's uh bring in France 24's Jackson from the US. Fraser, just in terms of these latest statements, we've heard so many over the past few weeks. Is there something concrete that can actually lead to a change in trajectory? Could we be seeing a ceasefire?

[00:00:16]Well, I think uh we've heard a lot of words, but actions really are what speak louder. And the flurry of activity that's taking place here at the White House uh really says more than a lot of the statements from Donald Trump or the Iranian side or the Pakistani side have over the course of the last couple of months. Today, we saw J.D. Vance take an unscheduled flight back from Ohio. He is now here behind me uh in the West Wing.

[00:00:41]Donald Trump not there at the moment. Uh the Marine guard not on the door of the entrance to the West Wing meaning that he is not in there as it stands. Uh but we are also hearing that uh Pete Hegseth's flight was also changed to come back from New York. Uh and Dan Quayle, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said to be here at the White House as well. Those out of the sights of the uh pool. We did not see those people arrive, however. So, a significant movement here at in Washington. And Donald Trump has been speaking to various members of the press, various of my colleagues, including Barak Ravid from Axios, who he told he was 50/50 on whether he would continue with the uh peace deal line or whether he would go down the bombing route. But since he spoke to Barak, he has then spoken to numerous leaders from the Arab world. And many of those leaders are said to have told him to take the deal that is on the table. So, this we believe is a close uh a close as close as we've been as ever to getting an extension of that ceasefire. It's set to last 60 days. Uh it will uh try it will uh contain things about the uh Strait of Hormuz, about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium. But the actual uh meat and bones of Iran's nuclear weapons uh program, that is what uh is yet to be discussed. It is understood from the Iranian side that they said they are going to deal with that separately to this. So, if that is the case, that is still a significant red line that the US has drawn in the past that is yet to be yet to be dealt with. So, effectively, this could be Donald Trump kicking the can 60 days down the road. But, remember Jomana we are in a midterm election year here in the United States and 60 days from now brings us towards the end of July into August with that which would mean the midterms at that point would just be a couple of months away from the end of that ceasefire deal. And of course, there's no guarantee that a deal will actually materialize at the end of those 60 days. It's very tight with the timing there, Fraser. Just something significant which has popped up is the fact that Trump, according to reports, is said to be contacting Gulf and regional allies as with regards to his reaction to said draft proposal. But, according to Israeli media, well, Israel's been left out completely in the cold. That's also got to be quite significant there.

[00:02:52]Yeah, [snorts] the Channel 12 reporting that the Israelis are effectively keeping up to speed with these discussions between Gulf leaders and the US and the developments with Pakistan and Iran through diplomatic backchannels and local reports. So, if that is true, that is a significant move. However, I should point out we've also heard that Donald Trump will be speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu at some point this evening, it is said. So, we will hopefully get a read out of that call from the Israeli side or through some sources here talking to the US press. But, it appears that that is a significant development if indeed true. Donald Trump has discussed this, like I said, with those regional allies and I think that more than anything is also a significant development because so far Donald Trump has not addressed them as much as he would have in the past. He has not really asked for their for their input in this. But, this was an officially scheduled call with multiple countries in the region. And a significant a significant thing as well, I believe, that a lot of those leaders told Donald Trump to take the deal that is on the table. Of course, they are worried themselves about the escalation of this and the impact that's having on their economies as well. Absolutely. A very important facet. Fraser, I don't suppose all of this happening right now is the reason that Donald Trump is not going to be attending his son's wedding.

[00:04:10]Well, we heard this reporting over the course of the last 24 hours or so.

[00:04:14]Donald Trump saying that he wouldn't be attending the wedding in the Bahamas of Don Jr. to his second wife, his third fiance say, because of affairs of government and because of his love of the United States of America in his words. So, Donald Trump saying that that this development with Iran is the reason he couldn't attend. But it should be pointed out as well, however, that the schedule that we got from the White House last weekend originally had Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey New Jersey at his golf course this weekend and not in the Bahamas for the wedding.

[00:04:42]So, according to the schedule, he was never meant to be in the Bahamas anyway.

[00:04:46]But of course, as you can see, it's a very gray and kind of wet and rainy weekend here on the West Coast on the East Coast rather of the United States.

[00:04:52]So, I think a lot of people wondering whether it was more of a washout is the reason that he didn't go to Bedminster.

[00:04:57]But of course, now we've seen a lot of developments on Iran. A very interesting one to keep our fingers on, but certainly more words will come from the US president in the days to come. But let's keep up to date with it with you, Fraser. Thank you so much as always. And now, let's just bring the story back to France.