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Deal nears, terms disputed
A US-Iran peace deal described as emerging would dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and allow the US to retrieve enriched nuclear material from Iran, Reuters reported citing a senior US official on Friday.
The deal text was agreed by the two countries with Pakistani mediation, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in a social media post on Friday, and the US expects to sign the agreement over the next few days.
US President Donald Trump said Iran leaked “false information” about the potential terms, asserting that the leaked information “bears no relation to the truth.”
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told state TV that a deal to end fighting has “never been closer” and said it includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a US blockade of Iran, while nuclear talks would begin later.
The BBC reported that the war began with US and Israeli strikes across Iran on 28 February and that the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed as Iran and US exchanged intermittent fire despite a ceasefire in April.
Israel and Iran trade barbs
Israeli officials expressed anger over the emerging US-Iran memorandum of understanding, with one Israeli official telling ynet “Trump screwed us” and another saying the deal taking shape “looks very bad.”
A senior U.S. administration official said Washington’s conditions include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, and the BBC reported US officials confirmed details while saying economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran meeting its obligations.
Trump attacked Iran again after Iranian media published details, writing “The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington’s statements “about the agreement are speculation and nothing has been finalised,” and he added that “So far, Iran has not reached a final conclusion about the agreement.”
The BBC also reported that Israel is not involved in the talks meant to extend the ceasefire and start negotiations on key issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, while Iran denied Western accusations that its programme aims to build a nuclear weapon.
What’s at stake next
The BBC said the deal would be followed by a 60-day period of negotiation focusing on Iran’s enriched uranium, with officials saying the material would be destroyed on site and then removed from the country.
“US President Donald Trump has a busy weekend ahead”
The Jerusalem Post | Israeli reported that the senior US official said the deal accomplishes the US’s core objectives and would guarantee “long-term peace in the region,” while also saying Iran “won’t receive anything for simply signing the agreement.”
Al-Monitor’s Reuters factbox laid out how the 2015 JCPOA lifted sanctions in exchange for restrictions on nuclear activities, including capping enrichment at 3.67% purity for 15 years and reducing centrifuges from 19,000 to 6,100.
DW reported that the nuclear program remains the key hurdle, centering on what is believed to be around 400 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to around 60%, and it said the US side has reportedly proposed a long-term moratorium of up to 20 years.
The Hill framed the political fight around the emerging deal, quoting Miad Maleki saying “Any version of this deal with Iran means the leverage is out the window,” as Trump pushed back on Iranian media reports and allies demanded more details.
