A standoff over control of the Strait of Hormuz appears to have reached a turning point, with Donald Trump — speaking at an event in Medora, North Dakota, for the presidential library honoring Theodore Roosevelt — saying the U.S. “hit Iran very hard last week.” The U.S. President, speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony and as celebrations for America’s 250th Independence Day anniversary approach — set to take place at Mount Rushmore — addressed ongoing negotiations with Iran and remained firm on the issue of nuclear weapons. As firm, at least, as someone can be when they insist the matter is straightforward: “Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.”
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Donald Trump: $3 billion release for Tehran?
Donald Trump spoke candidly about the negotiations, stressing that talks are “going very well.” He also described “very good meetings” between the two sides. He had already spoken at Joint Base Andrews about a significant shift in Tehran’s posture, notably stating that “Iran has made great progress.” The Iranians, for their part, are not denying it. According to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the country’s economy has been given some breathing room, as restrictions on both the financial and foreign exchange fronts have already been eased.
This was confirmed, at least according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. Tehran, he said, has already reached agreements, with results visible in oil export figures and prospects for new economic partnerships. Several Arab media outlets are now giving the talks a more concrete dimension, specifically reporting the release of $3 billion from the U.S. to Iran following a preliminary agreement. Sources from Al Arabiya and Al Hadath confirm that both sides have reached an initial agreement on disbursing the funds, while consultations continue over the status of the Strait of Hormuz, based on a new proposal submitted by Oman. The same sources note that delegations will return to their respective countries for further consultations before the next round of talks.
The involvement of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoys, remains largely indirect. They did not participate directly in the negotiations but met with the Prime Minister of Qatar on Tuesday, June 30, according to Reuters. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari confirmed they traveled to Doha solely for contacts with Qatari mediators regarding the Iran talks, as well as other regional issues such as Lebanon. As such, no formal face-to-face negotiations are taking place.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, emphasized to the two U.S. officials that his country’s priority as mediator is the observance of the memorandum of understanding.
Trump on Iran:
The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well. They've had very good meetings.
We hit them very hard for three nights, but we're getting along very well. pic.twitter.com/COvBqpl5Tr
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 1, 2026
Diplomacy, not military strikes
Donald Trump continues to favor diplomacy, even as Israel had hoped that the strikes near the Strait of Hormuz would create facts on the ground. From Benjamin Netanyahu‘s perspective, the U.S. failure to respond to his country’s “enemies” amounts to a cover-up — which is why the issue with Recep Tayyip Erdogan was raised, with Israel taking the long way around given that Turkey’s president has been using near-hardline rhetoric for years. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump does not see military operations as necessary and is instead pursuing a deal rooted firmly in diplomacy.
The Iranian side reiterated that the Doha talks primarily concern the unfreezing of blocked Iranian assets, insisting that no direct meeting with the American delegation has been scheduled. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that Tehran will not proceed to a new round of negotiations until the terms of the already-agreed memorandum of understanding are implemented.
