US and Iran Edge Closer to Deal to End War
Al Jazeera Staff
President Donald Trump claimed a deal with Iran is largely negotiated, but Tehran disputes key elements. Major disagreements remain over the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear program, with Israeli approval seen as a critical factor.
US President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social on May 23 that a deal between the United States and Iran to end months of conflict is "largely negotiated" and that final details will be released soon. According to him, the agreement includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas shipping route, as well as formal talks to end the US-Israel war against Iran.
Trump said the draft is a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU) involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. He also said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the conversation "went very well."
Iranian officials, however, confirmed that negotiations are ongoing and have made some progress, but disputed certain claims by Trump. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported the MoU includes a roadmap to end the war on all fronts, with the US granting sanctions waivers on Iranian oil during the talks. Iran has not accepted any actions related to the nuclear program, and the agreement allots 30 days for procedures regarding the Strait of Hormuz and 60 days for nuclear negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on May 23 described the latest proposal as a "framework agreement" or MoU that first establishes broad principles before details are negotiated within 30 to 60 days. "The trend this week has been to reduce disagreements, but there are still issues to be discussed through mediators. We will have to wait and see where things stand in the next three to four days," Baghaei told IRNA.
Key sticking points include the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran insists on sovereignty and proposes collecting fees, while the US demands freedom of navigation. The strait has been effectively closed to most vessels since the US-Israel war began on February 28. The US later imposed a blockade on Iranian ports to apply pressure.
The nuclear issue also remains a major hurdle. The US and Israel demand that Iran halt all uranium enrichment, accusing it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, even though US intelligence agencies have repeatedly assessed that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.
Iran expert Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute said the MoU between Iran and the US, while not yet involving major substantive concessions, signals a willingness to move toward a broader agreement. He noted that if sanctions are lifted and the nuclear issue resolved, “it could be a bigger deal than the Obama 2015 agreement."
Other analysts point out that Israeli approval will be a determining factor. Professor Setareh Sadeqi of the University of Tehran said the challenge for Trump is whether he can overcome Israeli interests and push the deal through, as Israel is believed to be seeking to sabotage any agreement.
