Donald Trump has claimed that a peace deal with Iran is “largely negotiated”, following calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies and Israel. The US president wrote on his social media platform that a memorandum of understanding was being finalised and would be announced shortly, adding 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, contradicted Trump’s assertion, reporting that the strait would remain under Iranian control. It said Trump’s claim was “inconsistent with reality”, insisting that Iran would continue to manage passage through the waterway.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, later congratulated Trump on his peace efforts and said Pakistan hoped to host another round of talks between the US and Iran “very soon”. Sharif described a call between Trump and leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan as “very useful and productive”.
Details of the potential deal remain sparse, but reports suggest it could include a 60-day ceasefire extension, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls, and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports. Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme would follow within 30 to 60 days, according to sources cited by Axios and the Associated Press.
Trump’s announcement came amid continued threats of US strikes against Iran if a deal was not reached. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had hinted at progress during a visit to India, saying news might arrive “later today”.
