Donald Trump has claimed that a peace deal with Iran has been 'largely negotiated', potentially ending the war launched by the US and Israel in February. Writing on his social media platform, the US president said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened as part of the agreement, which he described as a 'memorandum of understanding' still being finalised.
However, Iran's Fars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, contradicted Trump's assertion, stating that the strait would remain under Iranian control. 'The management of the Strait, determining the route, time, method of passage, and issuing permits will continue to be the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' it reported, calling Trump's claim 'inconsistent with reality'.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later congratulated Trump on his peace efforts and said Pakistan hoped to host another round of talks 'very soon'. Sharif described a call between Trump and leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan as 'very useful and productive'. Pakistan's army chief, Syed Asim Munir, has been a key mediator, holding meetings in Tehran with Iranian officials.
According to reports, a revised proposal from Iran and Pakistan includes reopening the strait with no tolls during a 60-day ceasefire extension, allowing Iran to sell oil freely, and negotiations on 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 could release $25bn in frozen Iranian assets and include a nuclear deal within 30 to 60 days.
Trump's announcement came amid continued threats of US strikes if no deal was reached. He told CBS and Axios he would only sign an agreement 'where we get everything we want'. The news has dismayed Republican hawks who had long called for military action against Iran.
