US President Donald Trump announced he will decide by Sunday whether to resume military strikes against Iran or pursue a peace deal, according to latest reports from Axios. Trump told Axios that it was a 'solid 50/50' as to whether he would be able to make a 'good' deal or else 'blow them to kingdom come.' The president stated 'I think one of two things will happen: either I hit them harder than they have ever been hit, or we are going to sign a deal that is good,' as reported by Axios. Trump told Axios that he would only take a deal that covers issues like uranium enrichment and the fate of Iran's existing stockpile. Military and intelligence officials have canceled their Memorial Day weekend plans in case of possible strikes, with a White House spokesperson confirming that 'The President always maintains all options at all times, and it is the job of the Pentagon to be ready to execute any decision the Commander-in-Chief could make.'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there has been 'some progress' in talks with Iran during his four-day visit to India, with 'There's been some progress done, some progress made. Even as I speak to you now, there's some work being done. There is a chance that, whether it's later today, tomorrow (Sunday), in a couple of days, we may have something to say,' according to Axios. The US and Iran are negotiating a letter of intent to end the war and commit to 30 days of more in-depth negotiations, as reported by Axios. Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, said the President has said one way or the other, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, the Strait needs to be open without tolls, and Tehran needs to turn over its highly enriched uranium. Pakistan's Army chief Asim Munir was in Tehran to discuss with the negotiators on the fine print of the peace deal, while Vice President J D Vance, who is in Ohio, is likely to return to Washington to join the meeting with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss Tehran's latest proposal.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz through the war has created massive disruption to a vital channel that ordinarily carries a fifth of global oil and LNG. Iran has floated plans to continue charging some $2 million for tankers post-war, despite Trump's demands for 'We want it open, we want it free. We don't want tolls.' According to the New York Times, Iran and Oman have reportedly held discussions on enforcing a permanent toll on the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman reportedly coming around to the idea of sharing revenues from ships crossing the waterway. Rubio warned that 'It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that. So it's a threat to the world if they were trying to do that, and it's completely illegal.'
At a White House event, Trump stated that 'Iran is dying to make a deal. We'll see what happens. But we hit them hard, and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it,' according to Axios reports. Speaking to supporters in Suffern, New York, Trump claimed 'Everything's gone, their leaders are gone,' referring to Iran's leaders, while also claiming Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the US military. The president has moved on to other topics, with Trump Jr marrying Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson on a small island in the Bahamas, though Trump cited 'circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America' as reasons for missing the wedding. Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the US Navy, said the military has put a major arms sale to Taiwan 'on pause' to ensure enough munitions for the Iran war.
