Deal or no deal? Trump’s social media posts add confusion to Iran conflict

Donald Trump’s team worked behind the scenes over Memorial Day weekend to finalize an Iran peace deal, but his own social media posts introduced confusion. On Saturday, Trump claimed on Truth Social that a deal was 'largely negotiated' and would be announced soon, prompting media preparations for an imminent announcement. Less than 24 hours later, he reversed course, stating the deal was 'not even fully negotiated yet.' The Trump administration’s inconsistent messaging on the Iran conflict has persisted since the U.S.-led bombing campaign began on February 28. Trump initially claimed Iran’s military capabilities were eliminated, but later reports confirmed Iran was rebuilding its arsenal. In early May, Trump announced a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, only to cancel it 36 hours later amid backlash from Arab allies. Iran accused the U.S. of violating a ceasefire after recent strikes, which the White House called defensive, without immediate comment. Trump also criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, calling it 'one of the worst deals ever made,' despite the International Atomic Energy Agency confirming Iran had met its disarmament obligations before the U.S. withdrawal in 2018. By Sunday, Trump had not updated progress on the talks but reiterated that any new deal would either be 'great and meaningful' or nonexistent. He later claimed discussions were 'proceeding nicely' and asserted that all 10 Arab nations involved would join the Abraham Accords, which normalize relations between Israel and other countries like the UAE. However, his posts included Egypt and Jordan, despite their relations with Israel already being normalized under previous agreements.