President Donald Trump has said a deal with Iran could be signed within days, potentially ending the current conflict, though he acknowledged that some difficult issues would be left for future negotiations.

The statement is significant because it marks one of the most concrete timelines Trump has publicly attached to ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran. Rather than a comprehensive settlement, the deal appears to be structured in stages, with a near-term agreement covering core terms and harder disputes pushed into later rounds of talks.

This kind of phased approach is common in high-stakes diplomacy. A first agreement typically locks in a ceasefire or framework, buys time, and reduces the immediate risk of escalation, while leaving contested details, such as verification mechanisms, sanctions relief schedules, or regional security guarantees, to follow-on negotiations. The risk is that those deferred issues can stall or unravel even after an initial deal is signed.

Why It Matters

A U.S.-Iran agreement, even a partial one, would carry significant consequences across several fronts. Iran's nuclear program has been the central anxiety for Western governments and Gulf states for years. Any deal that places even temporary limits on that program, or opens the door to international inspections, would shift the security calculus across the Middle East.

Oil markets would also respond quickly. Iran holds substantial crude reserves and has operated under heavy U.S. sanctions that have constrained its exports. A diplomatic breakthrough, or even credible progress toward one, tends to push oil prices lower as traders price in the possibility of more Iranian supply reaching global markets. Conversely, a collapse in talks can reverse that movement sharply.

For U.S. allies in the region, particularly Israel and Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the specifics of any deal matter enormously. They would want assurances that a near-term agreement does not trade away long-term security commitments in exchange for a short-term pause in hostilities.

What to Watch Next

The most important questions now are what exactly the deal covers, what it leaves out, and how Iran's leadership responds publicly. Trump's characterization of the timeline as "days" sets a short window for either a signing or a visible breakdown, both of which would move markets and shape regional diplomacy rapidly.

Iran's domestic political dynamics add another layer of complexity. Any agreement that the Iranian government signs will face scrutiny from hardline factions inside the country who have historically opposed deals with Washington. Whether Iranian leadership can hold a deal together politically is as important as whether negotiators can agree on terms.

The detail that some issues will be left for later talks is worth tracking closely. Deferred disputes have derailed past diplomatic efforts with Iran, most notably contributing to the unraveling of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action after the U.S. withdrew in 2018. A deal that papers over key disagreements now could face the same fragility.

For now, Trump's public statement signals that talks have reached an advanced enough stage for a signing timeline to be floated openly. Whether that timeline holds, and what a signed agreement actually commits both sides to, will determine whether this moment marks a genuine turning point or a temporary pause.