Washington and Tehran appear close to a preliminary agreement to end the war but the two sides differ on what they have actually agreed to, with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program remaining the central sticking points.
Trump declared on Truth Social Saturday that a “peace” deal is being discussed with regional leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, and Pakistan. He claimed the deal had been “largely negotiated,” with “final aspects and details” to be announced soon, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar followed on X Sunday saying “meaningful progress” had been achieved and that results “offer grounds for optimism that a durable outcome is within reach,” while Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif credited Trump’s “extraordinary efforts” toward peace.
Yet Iranian state media quickly contested Trump’s characterization. Fars News Agency disputed his account of Hormuz “returning to its previous status,” saying the latest draft stipulates that the strait would remain “under Iranian management” and that Tehran’s willingness to allow vessel traffic approaching pre-war levels “does not by any means signify a return of free passage.”
Transit routes, scheduling, and permits would remain Tehran’s exclusive prerogative, the agency said. Likewise, the semi-official Tasnim news agency stressed that Iran has accepted no measures on its nuclear program and that any deal would allow 30 days for Hormuz arrangements and 60 days for nuclear talks.
The nuclear question is where the gap appears widest. American officials told the New York Times on Sunday that the deal includes a “clear commitment” by Iran to abandon highly enriched uranium, with implementation details deferred to follow-on talks. Yet separately, the Times cited three senior Iranian officials saying these thorny questions—including the fate of the enriched uranium stockpile—would be left for a later negotiating round lasting 30 to 60 days. A senior Iranian source who spoke to Reuters was more blunt in his estimation: Tehran had “not agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile,” and the nuclear file is not part of the preliminary agreement at all.
What the two sides do appear to agree on is a broad framework: a halt to fighting, a reopening of Hormuz in some form, and the release of $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Axios reported the deal would also include a 60-day ceasefire extension, Iran’s ability to sell oil more freely, and the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for some sanctions relief.
The divergence reflects weeks of intensifying Pakistani mediation, conducted under US threats to resume strikes if Washington does not get the “right answers” from Tehran, and Iranian counter-warnings that it views Washington’s conduct with “strong and justified skepticism.” A draft “letter of intent” brokered by Pakistan and Qatar was announced May 20, and US intelligence assessments have added urgency by indicating Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities faster than expected.
Israel, conspicuously absent from the diplomatic activity, has pushed for a resumption of fighting and issued no public reaction to the anticipated deal. An Axios report from May 20 described a “lengthy and difficult” call between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which Trump informed Netanyahu that mediators were working toward a formal ceasefire — a disclosure that, according one source, set Netanyahu’s “hair on fire.”
