In what appears to be a significant step towards restoration of the peace in the Middle East, which has been reeling under a war for nearly three months, US President Donald Trump, on Saturday (24th May), claimed that the peace deal with Iran has been “largely negotiated” after calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies and Israel.
According to Trump, the deal, which will include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, is “subject to finalisation” by the US and Iranian negotiators. “An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Final 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,” he added, without divulging the details of the agreement.
The development comes after Trump held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, among others.
Iran ready for a peace deal, continues to control the Strait of Hormuz
Talking to state television on Saturday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei mentioned a “memorandum of understanding” and said that Iran intended to reach an agreement “in the form of a framework, consisting of 14 points”. Baqaei added that the process of finalising the memorandum was ongoing and that further dialogue could be held within 30 to 60 days, before the final agreement could be reached.
However, Fars news agency of Iran, which is said to be close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Iran would continue to control the Strait of Hormuz. “…the management of the Strait, determining the route, time, method of passage, and issuing permits will continue to be the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the news agency reportedly said, adding that Trump’s claim that an agreement was nearly final was “inconsistent with reality”.
Pakistan congratulated Trump for his peace efforts
Later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Trump on his peace efforts and stated he hoped to host another round of talks between the US and Iran soon. Notably, Pakistan has been mediating the peace talks between the US, Israel and Iran. Sharif described Trump’s phone call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan as “very useful and productive”. “Pakistan will continue its peace efforts with utmost sincerity, and we hope to host the next round of talks very soon,” Sharif added.
