Trump says Iran deal should include more countries joining Abraham Accords

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]It's been 86 days since the war with Iran began, but at this hour no deal to end it. I'm Holly Firfer in Atlanta and you're on the scene. Both the US and Iran have agreed that progress has been made on a deal, but Iran stresses that they have no timetable or deadline for finalizing an agreement. That framework would gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch a 60-day process to address Iran's nuclear program.

[00:00:29]Republican Senator Thom Tillis calls any deal the two sides make, quote, "doomed to fail."

[00:00:36]Uh there are a lot of things that need to be explained and and as I've said before, any agreement with Iran that isn't subject to ratifi- ratification by Congress uh is going, I think, going to be doomed to fail just like the the agreement we're trying to replace.

[00:00:52]Squawk News senior White House correspondent Haley Bull joins me now and Haley, uh where do negotiations stand at this hour?

[00:01:00]Uh yeah, Holly, the administration is touting progress, though when an agreement could be finalized and signed remains unclear. President Trump today saying that negotiations are, quote, "proceeding nicely" while also warning of a potential return to military action without a deal. The president writing on Truth Social today, quote, "It will only be a great deal for all or no deal at all. Back to the battle front and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before, and nobody wants that." The president suggested the agreement was down to the final details over the weekend, but later suggested he was not looking to rush a deal. Meanwhile, Iran says it does not have a deadline for finalizing a framework agreement and denies that it is on the verge of being signed, though noted some conclusions.

[00:01:46]Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier today said it is a work in progress, but touted what is on the table, telling reporters this.

[00:01:53]So, we have a what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters, and hopefully we can pull it off. It has a lot of support in the Gulf. Look, the president's not going to make a bad deal. He's just not. This This issue, no one has done more and no one has been more serious about the threat of a nuclear Iran than President Trump has been. And so, I'm very confident that we should all be very confident that we're not going to have a We're either going to have a good agreement or we're going to have to deal with it another way. Compromise.

[00:02:27]To sign off. Now, a 14-point memorandum of understanding would continue a ceasefire with a 60-day period for discussions, including on Iran's nuclear program, according to the Iranians. And reportedly, an agreement would call for opening the strait and ending the blockade, an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. And again, that 60-day period of talks. Now, there are a number of questions that remain about the specifics of the deal. As the past several days have seen a flurry of diplomatic engagements between the mediators and involved countries. At the same time, over the weekend, a handful of Republicans voiced concerns and criticisms over the deal, of which the administration has pushed back against largely framing those criticisms as not knowing the full scope of the negotiations. Now, over the weekend, additionally, the president spoke with Gulf and Arab nations and urged them and Iran, including once more this morning, to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which normalizes relations with Israel. Holly.

[00:03:33]Scripps News senior White House correspondent Haley Bull for us. Thank you, Haley.