Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, May 25: US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran, while sharply criticising the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered under former President Barack Obama, calling it a “one of the worst deals ever made” by the United States.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the Obama-era agreement posed a direct pathway for Iran to develop nuclear weapons, whereas the current negotiations were aimed at achieving the opposite outcome and preventing Tehran from acquiring such capabilities.

He asserted that the present diplomatic engagement with Iran is being conducted in a more controlled and structured manner, adding that his administration has directed negotiators not to rush into any agreement.

According to Trump, “time is on our side,” and discussions are being allowed to progress carefully to ensure a “proper and complete” deal. He also indicated that pressure on Iran will remain in place until any agreement is formally concluded and signed.

The US President said restrictions and measures targeting Iran would continue until a verified agreement is reached, stressing that both sides must proceed cautiously to avoid errors in the final outcome.

Trump also described current US-Iran relations as increasingly professional and constructive despite years of strained ties, while reiterating Washington’s central position that Iran must not be allowed to develop or obtain nuclear weapons.

He further linked the ongoing diplomatic outreach to broader regional efforts involving multiple Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.

The President said the wider regional engagement could align with frameworks such as the Abraham Accords, which aim to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab nations, and suggested that Iran could potentially be part of a broader regional arrangement in the future.

Earlier, Trump had said that a broad understanding involving Iran and regional stakeholders was close to completion and confirmed that he had held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the evolving situation.