Donald Trump has claimed that a peace deal with Iran has been “largely negotiated” following calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies and Israel, potentially ending the war launched by the US and Israel in February. In a post on his social media platform, Trump said a memorandum of understanding was being finalised and that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened as part of the agreement.
However, Iran’s Fars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the strait would remain under Iranian control, calling Trump’s assertion “inconsistent with reality”. The agency stated that management of the Strait, including determining routes and issuing permits, would remain Iran’s monopoly.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Trump on his peace efforts and said Pakistan hoped to host another round of talks between the US and Iran “very soon”. Pakistan’s army chief, Syed Asim Munir, a key figure in the negotiations, has held recent meetings in Tehran with Iranian officials.
Details of the draft agreement, according to reports, include reopening the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls during a 60-day ceasefire extension, allowing Iran to freely sell oil, and negotiations on curbing its nuclear programme. In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports. Three senior Iranian officials told the New York Times the agreement would stop fighting in Iran and Lebanon and could release $25bn in frozen Iranian assets.
Trump said he had phone discussions with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey and Israel. The lead-up to the announcement remained tense, with Trump threatening strikes if a deal was not reached. News of the potential deal has dismayed Republican hawks who had long called for military action against Iran.
