Trump says Iran cease-fire near

President Donald Trump said on May 23 that a deal to end the war with Iran was “largely negotiated,” but the public terms described by Washington and Tehran still diverged on core points, including who would control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. and Iranian officials both signaled progress on Saturday after weeks of talks and nearly two months of a fragile cease-fire that began on April 8. Trump said on Truth Social that final details were still being discussed and would be announced shortly, while Iranian officials and state-linked media indicated Tehran could accept a memorandum of understanding. Republican criticism surfaced almost immediately. The Times of Israel, citing senior Republican senators, reported that some in Trump’s party viewed the floated terms as a “nightmare for Israel,” underscoring how contested any pause remains even before a final text is published. ### What, exactly, did Trump say was close? Trump said Saturday that the outlines of a peace arrangement had already been settled and that the agreement would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz. NBC News and the Associated Press both reported that U.S. and Iranian officials were nearing a deal to end the conflict after weeks of negotiations. CBS News reported that Trump said negotiators were “getting a lot closer” and that the latest proposal included a process to reopen the strait, unfreeze some Iranian assets held abroad and continue negotiations on unresolved issues. The New York Times reported that mediators were still working without a clear public breakthrough, even as officials on both sides described the talks as moving forward. ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz at the center of this? The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow shipping lane at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and reopening it has become one of the most visible benchmarks in the talks. Trump presented reopening the waterway as part of the package he said was nearly complete. Iranian media, however, described a different formula. Fars News Agency, cited by multiple outlets including CBS News and the Times of Israel, said that even if an agreement is reached, the strait would remain under Iranian management. The New York Times separately reported that Iran had been exploring ways to formalize control over passage through the strait, including possible fees for ships, a step that has unsettled shipping markets and U.S.-allied Gulf states. ### What are Iranian officials saying publicly? Iranian officials have signaled willingness to move toward a memorandum of understanding rather than a full settlement all at once. Bloomberg reported that Tehran said talks were focused on ending fighting on all fronts first, with other disputes to be handled later. That formulation matters because it suggests the near-term objective is an armed pause with written terms, not a comprehensive political settlement. Public statements from Tehran have emphasized sequencing: halt the fighting, reopen commerce and leave harder questions for later rounds. ### Why are U.S. Republicans and Israel-focused conservatives pushing back? The Times of Israel reported that senior Republican senators denounced the emerging terms as a “nightmare for Israel.” Their criticism centered on the prospect that Iran could preserve a recognized role in managing Hormuz while securing relief through asset releases or follow-on talks. That backlash highlights a domestic constraint on Trump as negotiators try to convert broad outlines into a signed document. It also points to a gap between ending direct U.S.-Iran fighting and satisfying Israeli security demands, which have remained part of the wider regional dispute. ### What happens next? A memorandum of understanding is the next concrete step described by officials and media reports on May 23. The Associated Press reported that the United States and Iran were close to such a document, while Trump said final details would be announced shortly. Regional mediators and officials from Washington and Tehran were still working through those details on Saturday. The next public marker will be whether the two sides release a formal text covering Hormuz transit, Iranian assets and the continuation of talks beyond the current cease-fire.