Iran Pumps Brakes on Nuclear Deal, Says American Proposal Still Under Review

Iran is signaling that a final decision on a proposed memorandum of understanding with the United States remains out of reach, dampening expectations Sunday that a deal was imminent even as both sides say negotiations continue.

The Fars News Agency, which is closely affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, reported that a source close to the Iranian negotiating team said Tehran has yet to announce a final position on the proposed framework. Political, legal, and technical aspects of the American proposals are still being evaluated at multiple levels of the Iranian government, the agency said.

"The review is ongoing at both the professional and decision-making levels," the source told Fars.

The cooling of expectations comes days after details of a 14-point memorandum of understanding emerged in Israeli media, outlining terms that include $300 billion in compensation to Iran and the full lifting of the naval blockade. Tehran has clarified that Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for regional proxy forces have been removed entirely from the negotiating agenda, a position that has alarmed Israeli security officials.

President Trump halted a classified military plan, described as urgent and highly secret, to mount a ground assault on Iran's nuclear facilities. The plan envisioned sending Special Operations forces and infantry to strategic sites including Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, with the objective of physically removing Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium. Senior military officials warned the operation risked rapidly escalating into a full-scale invasion, putting US soldiers' lives at risk and affecting Trump's decreasing popularity. Trump ultimately chose the diplomatic path.

Meanwhile, protests have broken out in Tehran in recent days against the emerging agreement, with hardline demonstrators denouncing senior Iranian officials involved in the talks and claiming the negotiations are proceeding without the blessing of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Israeli security officials, for their part, have expressed hope privately that Khamenei will move to torpedo any deal.

At this point, it looks more likely than not that the MoU will pass, but as with anything related to Trump and Iran, no one really knows.