(SeaPRwire) – Two regional officials and one diplomat stated Saturday that the United States and Iran are on the verge of finalizing a memorandum of understanding designed to end the ongoing conflict, at a time when Washington is weighing a new round of strikes against the Islamic Republic.
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Iran indicated that gaps between the two sides in negotiations with the US are shrinking, after Pakistan’s army chief held additional discussions in Tehran. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during his visit to India that “some progress has been made” and “there may be updates to share later in the day.”
The aforementioned officials and diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to address the media, expressed hope that a final decision on the draft prepared by Pakistan could be announced within 48 hours as both sides review the document.
They noted that Vice President JD Vance, alongside envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, played major roles in helping close the remaining divides between the two sides, while Qatar also contributed significantly by sending a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts.
Even so, both Iran and the US have emphasized their core positions, and warned of the risks that would come with a resumption of attacks and a breakdown of their existing ceasefire. Rubio repeated the US stance that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, is required to hand over its stock of highly enriched uranium, and must keep the Strait of Hormuz open to traffic.
Iran refers to the draft as a ‘framework agreement’ paving the way for further talks
Iranian state television cited Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei characterizing the draft as a “framework agreement”, adding: “We want this document to cover all core issues required to end the imposed war, as well as other matters of critical importance to our side. After that, over a reasonable timeframe of 30 to 60 days, specific details will be negotiated, and a final agreement will ultimately be reached.”
He confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects being addressed in the ongoing discussions.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei saying that the two sides’ positions have grown more aligned in recent days.
“Over the past week, we have seen a clear trend of narrowing differences between our positions,” he said. “We will need to wait and observe how developments unfold over the coming three to four days.”
Baghaei noted that nuclear issues are not part of the current round of negotiations, as Tehran’s priority is to first end the war before holding discussions on its nuclear program, which has long been at the center of international tensions.
“At this stage, our focus is on ending the conflict across all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Baghaei stated, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “is explicitly written into the text and remains our non-negotiable position.”
Al-Manar TV, operated by Iran-backed group Hezbollah, reported that the group’s leader Naim Kassim received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that Tehran will not abandon its allies. A fragile, US-mediated ceasefire is currently in place for the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, which broke out two days after the war involving Iran began.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led the Iranian side during the historic face-to-face talks with the US last month, said Iran has rebuilt its military capabilities, and if US President Donald Trump resumes attacks, the outcome would be “more crushing and more bitter” than it was at the start of the war. State TV reported that his remarks came after he met with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir.
Trump previously stated that ‘serious negotiations’ were in progress
Trump had earlier announced he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because “serious negotiations” were underway, and at the request of US allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran in the past, only to walk them back each time.
The conflict was first sparked by strikes launched by the US and Israel on February 28, which brought an abrupt end to ongoing nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertilizer exports, leading to widespread economic disruption across the globe.
The US then imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. On Saturday, US Central Command announced that since the blockade went into effect on April 13, US forces have turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four ships.
The two unnamed officials confirmed that during his trip to Tehran, Pakistan’s army chief also held meetings with Araghchi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials, adding that Islamabad is continuing efforts to arrange a second round of direct negotiations between the US and Iran.
It remains unconfirmed whether Munir held a meeting with Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, who has emerged as a key figure in shaping Iran’s hardline stance during the talks.
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