The Iranian authorities have responded to the claims by US President Donald Trump that a peace accord to settle the conflict would allow complete access for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, even as there were signs that the two parties had reached an agreement.
According to the president, a peace accord has largely been negotiated following a series of telephone conversations that he had with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.
The president also separately conversed with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a message written in his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared that the peace agreement was subject to finalization among the United States, Iran, and other countries.
The details and final arrangements would soon be announced. According to him, “Strait of Hormuz will be opened” as stipulated in the peace accord.
However, Iran promptly responded to the statement made by Trump.
In its report, the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the peace accord will place the control of the strait under Iran.
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The disagreement is over one of the most thorny issues in the talks.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel started their war on the country in February.
It transports around a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil, and its shutdown has sent global energy prices soaring and driven US inflation to its highest in years.
A framework, not a final agreement
The Iranian side was also keen on describing what was put forward as only a beginning step rather than the conclusion of negotiations.
As stated by Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson from Iran’s Foreign Ministry to state run television: “This document should be regarded as a framework agreement, whereby the first phase will involve a memorandum of understanding followed by 30 to 60 days of further talks.”
As noted by the official, Iran’s primary objective was putting an end to the war, including the Lebanese front, and removing sanctions had been included as an absolute requirement within the deal.
It has also been noted that Iran has no intention of discussing any nuclear matters during the negotiations, although, according to The New York Times, the preliminary outline of the new deal apparently envisaged Iran’s handing over of its highly enriched uranium.
Pakistan played a key role in mediating between the United States and Iran.
Its army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, held talks with high level representatives from Iran, and the military announced positive developments from the meeting.
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A formal US response to Iran’s latest proposal was due Sunday. Trump has warned that strikes could resume if no deal is struck.
One Pakistani official involved in the talks offered a note of caution, saying nothing was settled until it was done.
