Washington/Tehran: Fresh uncertainty surrounds the ongoing diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran after President Donald Trump declared that planned military strikes had been suspended, while Iranian officials insisted that no final agreement has yet been approved.
Addressing reporters and later posting on social media, Trump claimed that progress in negotiations had reached Iran’s highest leadership and that a proposed framework had received broad acceptance. Based on this understanding, he said, the United States had decided to halt its scheduled military action and continue pursuing diplomacy.
The proposed arrangement reportedly seeks to preserve the current ceasefire, reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, and initiate a 60-day negotiating window focused on Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump also maintained that restrictions around the waterway would remain in place until a formal agreement is concluded and Iran commits to abandoning any nuclear weapons ambitions.
However, Tehran quickly offered a more cautious assessment of the situation. Iranian media outlets, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, said no draft agreement had received final approval and that discussions were still underway.
Officials in Iran acknowledged that significant portions of the proposed framework had been negotiated but stressed that outstanding issues remain unresolved. They indicated that while the latest proposals could still be reviewed, no binding commitment has yet been made.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also suggested that repeated changes in the American negotiating position had slowed progress, reiterating that Tehran would not compromise on what it considers its core national interests.
Diplomatic sources familiar with the talks say recent mediation efforts have focused on narrowing differences over the release of Iranian assets, arrangements concerning maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz, and the structure of future nuclear negotiations during the ceasefire period.
The differing public statements from Washington and Tehran underscore the fragile nature of the ongoing negotiations. While both sides appear to be exploring a diplomatic breakthrough, conflicting narratives indicate that several critical issues still require resolution before any formal agreement can be announced.
For now, military escalation appears to have been temporarily avoided, but the future of the proposed understanding remains dependent on political approval and successful completion of negotiations in the coming days.
