Iran, U.S. Narrow Differences Over Nuclear Weapons, Passage of Ships Through Strait

As President Trump suggests a peace deal with Iran is nearly at hand, Iran’s president has said is “ready” to assure the world that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, a claim the Islamic Republic has made for decades.The president announced Saturday that a deal with Iran could be announced as early as Sunday, though Iranian media says his main sticking point, nuclear weapons, won’t be decided until after an agreement is signed. Widely leaked details about a “memorandum of understanding,” accompanied by a flurry of activity in Washington over the weekend, suggest that a deal is near that includes Iran turning over its enriched uranium and an end to its nuclear weapons pursuits in exchange for waivers of oil sanctions and the release of billions of dollars in frozen funds and assets. The U.S. military would remain in the proximity of the Strait of Hormuz for 30 days to leave the military option viable if a nuclear deal falls apart.During a press briefing Sunday with India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, at New Delhi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected some good news to emerge on Sunday, though perhaps not final news on a deal. “There is a possibility that over the next few hours the world will get some good news at least with regards to the Straits and with regards to a process that can ultimately leave us where the president wants us to be and that is a world that no longer has to be in fear or worry of an Iranian nuclear weapon,” he said.Iranian media also are pointing to a lingering dispute in positions over who is in charge of the strait, not merely whether ships are able to pass. “Despite some Western media reports claiming a return of the Strait situation to pre-war conditions, what is included in the possible understanding is not a full return to the previous status, but rather the restoration of the transiting vessels to pre-war levels within 30 days,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.Turning to his Truth Social media platform, the president on Sunday issued a series of posts and comments suggesting that a deal is either at hand or Iran will be massacred, a threat that war hawks say sounds increasingly empty. Holding steady on his singular non-negotiable demand, a position he has held since the start of the conflict on February 28, Mr. Trump said that the heart of the deal — the end of Iran’s nuclear program — must be iron-proof.“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” he wrote. “The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!”“Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb,” he added.However, Iran’s official government media, Fars News, reported that negotiators say “no clause concerning Iran’s nuclear commitments has been included in the draft of the potential agreement between Iran and America.” It added that “the parties have agreed on the release of all or part of Iran’s frozen funds in order to enter into negotiations.”While the president thanked the Gulf nations involved in the negotiations, including the heads of state from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain, as well as Pakistan, Israel appears to be the odd-nation out in negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was excluded from the discussions, though he issued a statement on Sunday saying that he and Mr. Trump agree that “any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger.” “President Trump also reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon. The partnership between us and our two countries has been proven on the battlefield and has never been stronger,” Mr. Netanyahu said. By setting expectations about a short conflict — the president originally said the military confrontation would last four to five weeks — combined with conflicting statements from Iran, the delay of the deal has left some to suggest that the president may be caving to Iran’s demands. Mr. Rubio called that notion “absurd.”“The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” he said Twelve weeks have passed since the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran killed Iran’s top officials and set off a series of attacks on Gulf nations that had considered themselves outside the dispute. A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that connected 20 percent of Persian Gulf oil to the rest of the world sent oil prices spiraling and caused a bottleneck in other critical supplies that have had a global economic impact.In a phone interview with CBS News on Saturday, Mr. Trump expressed optimism that the pain will come to an end soon, but emphasized that he “will only sign a deal where we get everything we want,” otherwise he “wouldn’t even be talking about it.”

Iran, U.S. Narrow Differences Over Nuclear Weapons, Passage of Ships Through Strait

More from the New York Sun

The Cloisters Embraces the Ancient Americas, With Uneven Results

Hunter Biden Claims Dad Was Pushed Out of Presidential Race Because He Was Not Part of the ‘Epstein Class’

More from the New York Sun

The Cloisters Embraces the Ancient Americas, With Uneven Results

Hunter Biden Claims Dad Was Pushed Out of Presidential Race Because He Was Not Part of the ‘Epstein Class’

Colbert Marks the End of ‘The Late Show’ With Performance by Paul McCartney, but No Explicit Reference to Trump

The Cultural Significance of Nicki Minaj’s Conservatism

News Aggregators Reinforcing Political Ignorance, Especially for Young Americans

‘Whites-Only’ Community Sued After Rejecting Woman Over Her Jewish Ancestry, Black Husband

Trump’s Tariffs Are Fueling Voters’ Frustration Over Affordability

Newsom Suggests Universal Basic Capital as Solution to AI-Driven Unemployment