Netanyahu Pushes For Language Allowing Military Action As U.S.-Iran Deal Nears Signing

A potential U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is emerging as Washington and Tehran appear to be on the verge of signing a 60-day arrangement, renewable by mutual agreement, after a fragile cease-fire reached on April 8.

“US officials say a deal has been agreed in principle with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though nothing has been signed yet and any agreement would require final sign-off from President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader”

Al Jazeera

The proposed framework would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with one senior Trump administration official saying Iran would reopen the strait in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade.

Al Jazeera

In parallel, Al Jazeera reported that the draft framework includes a Lebanon ceasefire framework while Israel is reportedly pushing for language that would allow continued military action against “any threat,” a formulation Iran rejects in favor of a binding and lasting ceasefire.

The reporting also ties the negotiations to Israel’s war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, with Israel and Hezbollah continuing fighting despite an April 16 ceasefire and Israeli troops remaining deployed across parts of southern Lebanon.

Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told confidants Israel has little ability to influence U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision-making on Iran as Washington negotiates a deal to end the nearly three-month-old war.

In the same Reuters account, Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel “has no maneuver to influence the president right now,” while the emerging memorandum would see Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade.

Deccan Herald

Trump’s own framing appeared in a Truth Social post, where he wrote that any agreement would either be “great and meaningful, or there will be no deal at all.”

Al Jazeera also quoted Netanyahu’s statement on X, where he said he expressed “deep appreciation” to Trump for “his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” including during Operation Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.

The negotiations are described as not yet signed, with Al Jazeera saying any agreement would require final sign-off from President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader and that negotiating nuclear measures would take more time.

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Al Jazeera reported that Washington understood Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had endorsed the broad template, while a senior official told reporters an agreement would not be signed on Sunday because “The Iranian system did not move fast enough.”

The Hill reported Netanyahu’s position that any final agreement must eliminate the nuclear danger, quoting him writing on X that it “means dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from its territory.”

The same Hill account said Fars stated the deal would allow the regime to manage the Strait of Hormuz but dismissed Trump’s reference as “inconsistent with reality,” adding that it would not allow for the free passage of cargo vessels through the strait.