By Asif Shahzad, Michael Martina and Ryan Patrick Jones
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, May 23 (Reuters) – A “largely negotiated” memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, although the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the strait, the vital shipping passage whose closure has upended global energy markets since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. He did not say what else would be included in an agreement.
“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
But Fars reported early on Sunday that the agreement would allow Iran to manage the strait and that Trump’s assertion on the strait was “inconsistent with reality.”
IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM IN FOCUS
U.S. news website Axios reported late on Saturday that the U.S. and Iran were close to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls during a 60-day ceasefire extension, while Iran would be able to freely sell oil and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program.
In exchange, the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue some sanctions waivers on Iranian oil, Axios said, citing a U.S. official.
The draft agreement also includes commitments from Iran never to pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment program and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the Axios report said.
The New York Times reported that the proposed deal includes an “apparent commitment” by Iran to give up its highly enriched uranium. Details of how Iran would cede that stockpile would be left for a subsequent round of talks, the newspaper said, citing two unidentified U.S. officials.
Trump, while offering various war aims during the three-month-old conflict, has repeatedly said the U.S. struck Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has denied it is pursuing nuclear weapons and says it has a right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.
Iran said on Saturday that it was working toward a memorandum of understanding on ending the war after its top officials met with Asim Munir, the army chief of Pakistan, which has sought to be a mediator.
The Pakistani army said the negotiations had resulted in “encouraging” progress. Two Pakistani sources involved in the talks said the deal being negotiated is “fairly comprehensive to terminate the war.”
Sources have told Reuters the proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, which can be extended.
One of the Pakistani sources said that if the U.S. accepts the memorandum, further talks could take place after the Eid holiday ends on Friday.
Trump, whose approval ratings have been hit by the war’s impact on U.S. energy prices, said on Friday he would not attend his son’s wedding this weekend, citing Iran among the reasons he planned to stay in Washington.
‘ISSUES STILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED,’ IRAN SAYS
Trump spoke on Saturday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. The leaders encouraged Trump to agree to the emerging framework, Axios reported.
A call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also went “very well,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Pakistan has aimed to narrow differences between Iran and the U.S. after weeks of war have left the vital Hormuz waterway closed to most shipping despite a nervous ceasefire.
“The trend this week has been towards a reduction in disputes, but there are still issues that need to be discussed through mediators. We will have to wait and see where the situation ends in the next three or four days,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
Iran has demanded supervision of the strait, an end to the U.S. blockade on its ports and the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
Baghaei said the issue of the U.S. blockade on Iran’s shipping was important, but that its priority was ending the threat of new U.S. attacks and the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, where Iran-allied Hezbollah militants are fighting Israeli troops who have moved into the south.
Pakistan’s army chief Munir left Tehran on Saturday after talks with Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Qalibaf said Iran’s armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire and that, if the U.S. “foolishly restarts the war,” the consequences would be “more forceful and bitter” than at the start of the conflict.
Despite weeks of conflict, Iran has preserved its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium as well as missile, drone and proxy capabilities.
(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Ariba Shahid, Hatem Mater and Andrew Mills; Writing by Philippa Fletcher, Rod Nickel and Sergio Non; Editing by Kevin Liffey, David Gregorio, Nia Williams and Kim Coghill)
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