Donald Trump near cleansing up his personal mess as Iran and US ‘shut’ to war-ending deal
A memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran could be agreed within 48 hours, two regional officials and a diplomat said on Saturday, as Iran signals “narrowing differences” in ongoing negotiations
Donald Trump started a war in Iran, and is finally close to ending it(Image: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP via Getty Images)
The United States and Iran are edging towards a memorandum of understanding designed to bring the conflict to a close, according to two regional officials and a diplomat on Saturday, as the US weighed up a fresh wave of strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Iran indicated “narrowing differences” in talks with the US after Pakistan’s army chief held further discussions in Tehran, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India that “there’s been some progress made” and “there may be news later today”.
The officials and diplomat expressed optimism that a final decision on the Pakistan-drafted document could be reached within 48 hours as both sides examine it. They spoke under condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the press.
They revealed that US Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner played pivotal roles in helping to close the remaining gaps, and that the Arab nation of Qatar proved instrumental by dispatching a senior official to Tehran to bolster Pakistan’s mediation efforts.
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US President Donald Trump spent Saturday at the White House, keeping a low profile and remaining largely quiet on social media. Nevertheless, both Iran and the US have underlined their respective stances and cautioned against the dangers of renewed hostilities that could derail their ceasefire.
Rubio reiterated the US position that Iran must never be permitted to possess a nuclear weapon, must surrender its highly enriched uranium, and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.
Iran’s state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a “framework agreement” and adding: “We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached.”
He confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is amongst the subjects under discussion.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying that the two sides have edged closer together in recent days.
“Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences,” he said. “We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days.”
Baghaei clarified that nuclear matters are not currently part of the ongoing negotiations, as Tehran is prioritising an end to the conflict before addressing its nuclear programme, which has long been a central source of international tension.
“Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position.” Iranian-backed Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported that Lebanese militant group leader Naim Kassim received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirming that Tehran would not desert its allies. A fragile, US-brokered ceasefire remains in place in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, a war that broke out just two days after hostilities with Iran commenced.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who served as lead negotiator in historic face-to-face talks with the US last month, stated that Iran has rebuilt its military capabilities and warned that should Trump resume attacks, the consequences would be “more crushing and more bitter” than at the outset of the war. He made the remarks following a meeting with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, according to state TV.
Trump had previously indicated he was holding back a military strike against Iran due to “serious negotiations” being under way, and at the behest of Middle Eastern allies. He has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran, only to subsequently back down.
The US and Israel triggered the conflict with strikes on 28 February, abruptly ending nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran hit back by effectively sealing off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertiliser, causing widespread economic damage across the globe.
The US subsequently blockaded Iranian ports. US Central Command confirmed on Saturday that American forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began on 13 April.
During his trip to Tehran, Pakistan’s army chief also held meetings with Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures, according to the two officials, who added that Islamabad is pressing ahead with efforts to broker a second round of direct negotiations.
It remained unclear whether Munir met with Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and has emerged as a key figure in shaping Iran’s hardline position in the talks.
