Iranian Response Expected Today
The United States is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposed short memorandum aimed at ending the 67-day war, with Tehran expected to deliver its answer to mediators on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the talks.
The United States is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposed short memorandum aimed at ending the 67-day war, with Tehran expected to deliver its answer to mediators on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the talks.
The proposal would declare an end to the war and open a 30-day period to resolve remaining disputes, including Iran’s nuclear program, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, one source told CNN.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington had held “very good talks” with Iran over the previous 24 hours, while warning that US bombing could resume if Tehran does not agree to a deal.
Trump told PBS News that any agreement would require Iran to ship its highly enriched uranium to the United States and commit not to operate its underground nuclear facilities. Those conditions remain among the central questions in the negotiations, as Iran has previously sought to separate discussions over nuclear issues from efforts to end the war and reopen shipping routes.
The expected Iranian response comes after Trump paused Project Freedom, the US naval mission that had been escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The president said the pause was linked to progress in negotiations, though the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect.
The Hormuz crisis remains a major point of tension. On Tuesday, the US military fired on an Iranian-flagged tanker heading toward an Iranian port, enforcing the blockade. The incident came hours after Iran announced a new body that it said would govern traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, part of Tehran’s effort to formalize control over the key shipping route.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also urged countries to join a multinational mission to secure shipping through the strait after speaking with his Iranian counterpart.
Israel is closely monitoring the negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Tuesday with Trump administration officials to better understand the direction of the US-Iran discussions, according to an Israeli source. Israel is concerned that Washington could make last-minute concessions in order to secure a deal.
The diplomatic push comes as tensions continue on other fronts. Israel struck Beirut on Tuesday, targeting a senior Hezbollah commander in the first Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital since the start of the ceasefire in Lebanon. The strike underscored the fragility of the truce and the risk that the wider regional conflict could continue even if Washington and Tehran reach an agreement.