LONDON/DUBAI, May 26 — An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that conclusions have been reached on many of the topics discussed in a potential 14-point memorandum of understanding, but this does not mean a deal to end the war in the Middle East is imminent.
On Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei said that the framework focuses on an end to the war and a US naval blockade, in exchange for Tehran taking steps to ensure safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz.
At what stage are the discussions?
The two sides have remained at odds on difficult issues, including Iran's nuclear ambitions, Israel's war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, and Tehran's demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets.
Both sides say they have made progress on a memorandum of understanding that would halt the war and give negotiators 60 days to reach a final deal.
Senior Iranian diplomat Hossein Nooshabadi told the ISNA news agency on Monday that the possible framework deal included the end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the release of blocked Iranian assets, the lifting of the US naval blockade, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of US forces from the vicinity of Iran, and the freedom to sell Iranian oil.
He added that Iran's draft for an initial agreement contained no commitments on its nuclear programme.
A senior official in US President Donald Trump's administration, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Iran had agreed "in principle" to open the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade, and to dispose of Tehran's highly enriched uranium.
Baghaei noted that the potential initial deal had no specific details about the management of Hormuz, while Nooshabadi said that the strait's management is an Iranian-Omani issue, currently under discussion with Oman.
How could a deal move forward?
If Iran's Supreme National Security Council approves the memorandum of understanding, it will then be sent to the country's supreme leader for final approval.
The senior US official said that they were made to understand that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had endorsed the broad template of the deal.
Both Baghaei and Nooshabadi said that if the first phase of the agreement progressed, the nuclear issue could be reviewed and negotiated during the 60-day period.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of entering into a "very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter" during the 60 days.
The last deal over the nuclear programme — struck in 2015 during then-president Barack Obama's administration, and torn up by President Donald Trump during his first administration in 2018 — took years of negotiations between large teams of technical experts.
What are the main issues?
Hormuz and Gulf Blockade: Tehran sees its control of Hormuz, and Washington views its blockade of Iranian ports as its chief point of leverage.
Nuclear: The US believes that Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran has always denied this, saying its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only.
The focus is on its enrichment of uranium, which generates fuel for nuclear power but can also make material for a warhead. An agreement may eventually be possible, including a lengthy moratorium on enrichment and the export or dilution of the stockpile.
Ballistic Missiles: A main US demand before the war was that Iran limit the range of its ballistic missiles so that they could not reach Israel. Iran has always refused to discuss its ballistic missiles, saying its right to conventional weapons cannot be on the table and that it still has a large arsenal.
Sanctions and Frozen Assets: Iran's economy has been hurt by sanctions for years, contributing to the nationwide unrest in January. Tehran badly needs them to be lifted, and tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks to be released while seeking reparations for war damage.
