Iran peace deal ‘largely negotiated’, Trump claims Strait of Hormuz reopening as dispute grows

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that a “largely negotiated” note of understanding for a possible Iran peace deal is close to being finalized. He stated that the deal would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a major international shipping passage that has been affected since fighting began between the U.S., Israel, and Iran in February. In a social media post, Trump wrote that that negotiations on the final details is still being fine-tuned, and will be announced shortly.

However, Iran’s Fars news agency has rejected Trump’s claim about the Strait of Hormuz. It said that any agreement would actually allow Iran to continue managing the waterway, calling Trump’s statement “inconsistent with reality.”

According to New York Times reports, that Iran may agree to relinquish its highly enriched uranium under the terms of the emerging deal. This claim is said to come from two anonymous U.S. officials. The details of the process for Iran’s transfer of nuclear material are likely to be decided in the next round of talks.

In the course of the ongoing conflict, Trump has repeatedly stated that U.S. military operations were to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Iran continues to denied the accusations, insisting its nuclear activities are purely for civilian and peaceful purposes.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts appear to be moving forward. Iranian officials said they are working on a memorandum of understanding to help end the war after talks involving Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, who has been acting as a mediator. Pakistan has been trying to play a role in reducing tensions between the sides.

The Pakistani military described the discussions as showing “encouraging” progress, and some Pakistani officials involved in the talks believe the proposed agreement could be broad enough to potentially bring the conflict to an end.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised Trump’s efforts on social media, calling them “extraordinary” in promoting peace.

According to Reuters sources, the proposed peace framework may be implemented in three stages. First, the war would officially end. Second, disputes around the Strait of Hormuz would be addressed. Finally, both sides would enter a 30-day negotiation period to work on a longer-term and more detailed agreement, which could be extended if needed.