(CNN) \u2014 President Donald Trump said Saturday that a broader agreement between the United States and Iran has been \u201clargely negotiated\u201d and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, signaling potential momentum toward ending the monthslong war.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s state-affiliated Fars news agency has disputed Trump\u2019s characterization, reporting that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Iranian control according to the latest version of the proposal exchanged between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n
Recent versions of the memorandum of understanding that Trump appears close to finalizing would end hostilities with Iran while gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports, according to a person familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
The agreement would unfreeze some Iranian assets that are held in banks outside Iran.<\/p>\n
And it would start a clock of at least 30 days for continued negotiations meant to resolve the remaining sticking points on Iran\u2019s nuclear program, including what happens to Tehran\u2019s stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium.<\/p>\n
Trump said final details were still being sorted, and it remained possible that some aspects of the memo could change.<\/p>\n
Fars News said that Trump\u2019s claims about the strait reopening are \u201cnot true\u201d and \u201cinconsistent with reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough Iran has agreed to allow the number of passing vessels to return to pre-war levels, this in no way means \u2018free passage\u2019 as it existed before the war,\u201d the outlet reported.<\/p>\n
The deal is expected to unfold in two phases, a regional source with knowledge of the negotiations told CNN.<\/p>\n
In the first phase, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to its pre-war status with shipping security in the region ensured, and provide assurances that it will not pursue nuclear weapons, the source said. Iran will also be allowed to resume the sale of fuel and oil.<\/p>\n
The second phase, lasting 30-60 days, will focus on detailed negotiations over the nuclear issue and other, broader issues, the source said.<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Trump on his \u201cextraordinary efforts to pursue peace,\u201d on X early Sunday, but did not refer to any agreement or the Strait of Hormuz. Islamabad has been a key mediator in talks between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n
Instead, he mentioned a \u201cvery useful and productive telephone call\u201d held by Trump with leaders of several Gulf states, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan, represented by the country\u2019s military chief Asim Munir.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe discussions provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on the current regional situation and how to move the ongoing peace efforts forward,\u201d Sharif added.<\/p>\n
Trump said his call with regional leaders involved negotiations surrounding Iran and what he described as a memorandum of understanding tied to \u201cPEACE.\u201d<\/p>\n
The leaders urged Trump during the call to accept the proposed framework with Iran, according to a person briefed on the discussion, who described the conversation as encouraging. Another regional source characterized the talks as positive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe call was very positive. Good progress is being made. Regional leaders were supportive of the progress and of the breakthrough President Trump achieved with the talks,\u201d a regional diplomat on the call told CNN.<\/p>\n
Trump said he held a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, \u201cwhich, likewise, went very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinal aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly. In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s main concern is that there will be a narrow interim agreement that will extend the ceasefire, open the Strait of Hormuz and gradually ease sanctions on Iran, while not addressing the most critical points for Israel \u2014Tehran\u2019s nuclear program and enriched uranium, an Israeli source said. The US continued to reassure Israel on the uranium issue.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu will convene a limited security consultation on Saturday evening with select ministers and security officials to discuss the developments in Iran negotiations, the source told CNN.<\/p>\n
Trump, speaking to Axios in a phone interview earlier, described the chances of reaching an agreement with Iran as a \u201csolid 50\/50\u201d before the call with Gulf and other regional leaders, adding that he could decide by Sunday whether to resume military action.<\/p>\n
The president said the talks could either lead to a \u201cgood\u201d deal or result in the US choosing to \u201cblow them to kingdom come.\u201d<\/p>\n
US and Iranian officials suggested that they may be closer to reaching a framework agreement to end the war after mediators from Qatar and Pakistan held talks in Tehran on Saturday. One regional source said the US and Iran were moving closer to an agreement to work toward a more detailed deal in the future.<\/p>\n
Trump told Axios he also planned to speak with envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, his son-in-law. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, was spotted arriving at the White House on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state during Trump\u2019s first administration, criticized the reported deal and compared it to Obama-era agreements. \u201cNot remotely America First,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n
That drew a profane response on X from White House communications director Steven Cheung, who wrote: \u201cMike Pompeo has no idea what the fuck he\u2019s talking about. He should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, two GOP Iran hawks, also expressed caution at Trump making a potential peace deal with Iran.<\/p>\n
Graham raised concerns about Iran being perceived as a dominant \u201cforce requiring a diplomatic solution,\u201d which he said could have broad implications for the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis combination of Iran being perceived as having the ability to terrorize the Strait in perpetuity and the ability the inflict massive damage to Gulf oil infrastructure is a major shift of the balance of power in the region and over time will be a nightmare for Israel,\u201d Graham posted on X on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Wicker, who serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he believes the negotiations will \u201cdefine\u201d Trump\u2019s legacy and urged the president to \u201cfinish what we started.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on,\u201d Wicker wrote Friday, adding: \u201cFurther pursuit of an agreement with Iran\u2019s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier, Iranian officials said that Tehran would focus on ending the fighting, including between Israel and Iranian proxy group Hezbollah, and releasing its frozen overseas assets. Tehran has long sought to separate immediate peace talks from negotiations over its nuclear capacity.<\/p>\n
After meetings in Tehran on Friday and Saturday, Pakistan\u2019s military chief Munir left for Islamabad late in the afternoon local time. The Pakistan military said the visit was \u201chighly productive,\u201d adding that the talks \u201ccontributed meaningfully towards the mediation process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intensive negotiations over the last twenty four hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding,\u201d the military said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that 30- and 60-day timeframes had been included in a text of the memorandum, but it had not yet been finalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past week, the viewpoints have been getting closer,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must wait and see what will happen in the next three to four days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baghaei said \u2060any mechanism concerning \u2060the Strait of Hormuz should be agreed between \u2060Iran, Oman and the countries bordering the \u2060waterway, and that the United States \u201chas nothing to do\u201d \u2060with it.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, struck a defiant note after his talks with Munir, warning that Iran \u201cwill not back down from the rights of our nation and country \u2014 especially when dealing with a party that has never shown sincerity and in which no trust exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire in such a way that if Trump makes the mistake of restarting the war, it will definitely be more crushing and bitter for America than the first day of the war,\u201d Ghalibaf added, according to a report from Iran\u2019s state broadcaster.<\/p>\n
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.<\/p>\n
The-CNN-Wire
\n\u2122 & \u00a9 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n
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