TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated” and would include reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran quickly pushed back Sunday, insisting the waterway would remain under Iranian management.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said the latest exchanged text between Tehran and Washington did not transfer control of the strait and dismissed Trump’s announcement as “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.”
“An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,” Trump wrote Saturday on his Truth Social platform.
“In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened,” he added.
Trump said leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain joined a call on Saturday to discuss the proposed agreement. He also said he spoke separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and described the conversation as having gone “very well.”
“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump said.
His comments contrasted with more cautious statements from Iranian officials, who said major disagreements remained and stressed that Tehran’s nuclear program would not be part of the initial negotiations.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said there was “a trend toward rapprochement,” but warned that “it does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on the important issues.”
Speaking on state television, Baqaei said Iran was drafting a 14-point framework agreement that could later lead to a broader deal.
“Our intention was first to draft a memorandum of understanding, a kind of framework agreement composed of 14 clauses,” he said, adding that negotiations on a final accord could take “between 30 to 60 days” after the framework is completed.
Tensions remained high despite the diplomatic activity.
‘Another act of folly’
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Washington against resuming military action following reports in US media about possible new strikes and Iranian accusations that the US was making “excessive demands.”
“Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war,” Ghalibaf said.
He spoke after meeting in Tehran with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has played a prominent role in mediation efforts aimed at ending the conflict that erupted after US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
Weeks of negotiations, including rare face-to-face talks hosted by Islamabad, have yet to produce a permanent settlement or fully restore confidence in maritime security through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments.
‘Neither war nor peace’
The prolonged uncertainty has deepened anxiety among ordinary Iranians.
“The state of ‘neither war nor peace’ is far filthier than war itself,” a 39-year-old Tehran resident identified as Shahrzad told AFP.
“I’m about to start a new job, and I’m scared war might break out again — that I’ll end up leaving the job like before, running off to another city out of fear,” she said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres that Tehran remained engaged in diplomacy despite what he described as “repeated betrayals” and “contradictory positions” by Washington.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency said Araghchi also held calls with counterparts from Turkiye, Iraq, Qatar and Oman as regional diplomacy intensified.
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani separately spoke with Trump as well as UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday.
A Qatari statement said discussions focused on efforts aimed at “calming the situation and promoting political solutions.”
Meanwhile, violence continued elsewhere in the region. Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday despite an April 17 ceasefire. Lebanon’s military said one strike hit an army barracks and wounded a soldier.
Israel said one of its soldiers had been killed Friday near the Lebanese border.
Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the conflict on March 2 after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader. Hezbollah said Saturday that its leader Naim Qassem received a message from Araghchi pledging continued Iranian support for the group.
(With AFP & Reuters)
