US-Iran deal to be signed; awaiting Trump's final approval
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U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement on Thursday to open the Strait of Hormuz and start nuclear talks, CNN reported quoting US officials — though President Donald Trump has not signed off on it yet. Iranian officials have not yet commented on a potential deal.
The Hormuz step is part of a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. The deal however will come into effect only after President Trump has gives his final approval, two U.S. officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts, quoted by Axios. The official acceptance of Iran is also required for the same.
Although the signing of the MOU would be a landmark diplomatic feat in the endeavour for a deal since the beginning of the war, what Trump would demand on the nuclear front is the key and that may require further negotiations.
"This is an agreement to get everybody to the table. We will work out the details in the negotiations," one of the U.S. officials is quoted as saying.
U.S. officials said terms of the deal were mostly agreed to as of Tuesday, but both sides still needed approval from senior leadership.
The U.S. officials claimed the Iranians later came back and said they had the necessary approvals and were prepared to sign - a statement not officially confirmed by Iran.
On several occasions in recent weeks, Trump and his advisers had said or hinted having come close to a deal only to be backtracked in effect with statements of the same status.
The latest 60-day MOU is believed to lay down that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be "unrestricted", another way of ruling out any tolls and also committingn Iran to removing all mines from the strait within 30 days.
Reciprocally, the U.S. naval blockade will also be lifted, progress of which to be in proportion to the restoration of commercial shipping. The deal will also include some sanctions ti be waived so as to let Iran to sell freely.
The MOU will include an Iranian commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon. It will also state that the first issues to be negotiated during the 60-day window will be how to dispose of Iran's highly enriched uranium and how to address Iranian enrichment, the Axios report said.
The U.S. officials claimed there will be no side deals or secret clauses about sanctions relief or funds going to Iran. "The more the Iranians are willing to give the more they will get," one said.
Meanwhile, CNN has quoted US vice President as saying that a couple of language points on the text were still under discussion.