He wants Hormuz open and without tolls. But still no decision on Iran. At the end of more than two hours of meeting in the Situation Room with his closest advisers, Donald Trump remained undecided about whether or not to accept the memorandum of understanding, the "Islamabad Declaration," reached by his negotiators.
Although an agreement appears close, sources told the New York Times, several issues remain to be discussed, including the release of frozen Iranian funds. The matter thus remains open for now, and negotiations continue.
Despite the lack of a decision, financial markets continue to rise, betting on the green light for the agreement, while oil prices fall to around $90, seeing a brighter outlook on the horizon. Investors are heartened by the words the tycoon wrote in Truth, before meeting in conclave with his advisors: the US ships blockading the Strait "can begin the process to return home. Please say hello to your wives, your husbands, your parents, and your families on my behalf."
But Tehran quickly froze him, challenging him precisely over Hormuz. " Iran's management of the Strait has now become consolidated internationally," thundered Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee. "From time to time, it sends its army to open the Strait. They arrive, are defeated, and turn back," Rezaei said. His version of the agreement is "a mixture of truth and lies," added Fars, the news agency close to the Pasdaran, a few hours later.
In a lengthy message on his social media platform, Truth, before entering the situation room, Trump reiterated his red lines, including the immediate reopening of the Strait "without tolls and without restrictions. All mines must be removed. Iran must accept that it will never have a nuclear weapon. Nuclear dust will be destroyed," the commander-in-chief insisted, touching on the two thorniest issues of the negotiations, those on which negotiations have repeatedly stalled, once again raising the winds of war.
At the same time , Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, flew to Washington and met with the Secretary of State before the crucial meeting. Marco Rubio thanked him for his efforts to reach a resolution to the conflict. Pakistan is the lead negotiator between the United States and Iran and has only recently been joined by Qatar in closing the memorandum of understanding and thus removing the threat of war.
The memorandum of understanding, which still needs the signatures of Trump and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, provides for a 60-day extension of the truce during which negotiations on Iran's nuclear program must begin. The final drafts circulated in Washington and Tehran contain some differences but do not appear to be far apart, despite repeated public denials from both sides. The IRGC has repeatedly disputed US rumors regarding uranium, while the White House has repeatedly urged people not to believe Tehran media reports. Within 60 days of the memorandum's signing, the United States and Iran will have to map out a path for the disposal of Iran's highly enriched uranium , which Trump is determined to destroy at all costs. Also under discussion will be the easing of US sanctions and the release of Iranian funds frozen abroad, as well as an "investment fund" that could be worth up to $300 billion for reconstruction. Both Tehran and Washington want the deal.
(Unioneonline)