Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on 29 May laid out the Trump administration's three non-negotiable conditions for any nuclear agreement with Iran: Tehran must surrender its highly enriched uranium, permanently abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Bessent made the remarks during a White House briefing, even as he declined to confirm reports that a tentative deal had already been reached.

The Three Conditions

Speaking to reporters, Bessent was unambiguous about Washington's minimum requirements. 'Iran has to turn over their highly enriched uranium. They cannot pursue a nuclear weapon. And the Strait of Hormuz has to free transit. Navigation of the seas has to be free and open as it was before,' he said.

He added that sanctions relief would remain firmly off the table until all three conditions were met. 'Nothing is going to be on the table until we see the Strait of Hormuz open and the Iranians agree that they have to turn over the highly enriched uranium and that they can't have a nuclear program,' Bessent stated.

Talks Ongoing, But No Deal Confirmed

Bessent repeatedly declined to confirm reports of a tentative agreement — including a reported 60-day ceasefire extension and continuation of nuclear talks. 'The teams have been going back and forth,' he said, adding that President Donald Trump had made his position clear during a Cabinet meeting a day earlier.

When pressed on whether a temporary arrangement had been reached, Bessent deferred entirely to the president. 'Everything depends on what the president wants to do,' he said. 'It's always a mistake to get out ahead of the president.'

Washington Claims a Historic Diplomatic Shift

Bessent framed the ongoing negotiations as an unprecedented diplomatic achievement, arguing that the administration's combination of military and economic pressure had compelled Iran to engage on its nuclear programme. 'President Trump has done something that no other administration is able to do. We have gotten the Iranians to talk about their nuclear program and to perhaps commit to not having one,' he said. 'That has never happened before.'

This comes amid a broader pattern of maximum-pressure tactics that the administration has employed since re-entering office, echoing — and escalating beyond — the approach of Trump's first term, when the US withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Military Option Remains on the Table

While Bessent stressed that President Trump 'always prefers a peace deal,' he issued a pointed warning about the consequences of diplomatic failure. 'If President Trump doesn't think he can get a peace deal, then kinetic is back,' he said — a stark signal that military action remains a live option.

Bessent also claimed that sustained pressure had fractured the Iranian leadership's internal communications. 'The Iranian government, such as it is, is three pillars. It is the elected government, it is the IRGC, and it is the clerics, and they are having trouble communicating,' he said, suggesting that Washington views internal Iranian disarray as a negotiating advantage.

What Comes Next

The status of any interim arrangement — including the reported ceasefire extension — remains officially unconfirmed. Analysts will closely watch whether Iran responds publicly to the three conditions, and whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping in the days ahead. A formal deal, if reached, would mark the most significant US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough in over a decade.