“Largely negotiated”. This is what the US President Donald Trump said on the deal with Iran, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, and stopping their war. This is not the first time in recent weeks that a deal has been described as close.
“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump said on social media, with no details. He said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, and separately with Israel.
Trump described it as a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE" that still must be finalised by the United States, Iran, and the other countries that participated in the calls. It capped a week in which the US weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic that would break a fragile ceasefire.
There was no mention of Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium, which Iran has sought to discuss later.
Earlier on Saturday, a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation efforts said the US and Iran were closing in on a deal to end the war. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations, cautioned that “last-minute disputes” could blow up the efforts.
The official said the deal would include an official declaration of the war's end, with two-month negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and the US would end its blockade of Iran's ports.
Iran, meanwhile, had signalled “narrowing differences” in negotiations after Pakistani army chief Asim Munir held more talks in Tehran.
Twelve weeks have passed since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing top Iranian officials, including its supreme leader, and interrupting nuclear talks between the US and Iran for the second time in less than a year. Iran fired at Israel and at neighbours hosting US forces, shaking Gulf nations that had considered themselves safe havens in a tough region.
A ceasefire has held since April 7. But Iran's decision to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz for ships carrying regional oil, natural gas, and other critical supplies has been a focal point of global concern and economic pain.
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