Trump announces draft deal with Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a draft framework for an agreement with Iran, which would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” and is “subject to finalisation”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed and will be announced “shortly”.

“In addition to many other elements of the agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened,” the US president said.

Trump said he had a “very good call” with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, in another sign of the prevailing influence of Gulf countries and other regional actors in convincing Trump to both stop further strikes and end the war altogether, as well as a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which “went very well”.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India there was a chance of some "some good news" regarding a deal later in the day.

"I do think perhaps there is the 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," Rubio said.

"That is a world that no longer has to be in fear or worry about an Iranian nuclear weapon," he added.

The Associated Press on Saturday quoted a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation efforts saying the US and Iran were closing in on a deal which would include an official declaration of the war’s end, with two-month negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and the US would end its blockade of Iran’s ports, the official told AP.

Before Trump’s announcement, Iran signalled “narrowing differences” in the negotiations as positions moved closer in recent days, especially after Pakistan’s army chief held more talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday.

Iran state-run TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a “framework agreement”.

“We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached," Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying.

According to Baghaei, “over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences."

He said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear programme.

“Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position.”

Trump earlier said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because “serious negotiations” were underway, and at the request of allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

The war started on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, cutting short nuclear talks with Tehran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertiliser, causing global economic pain.

The US then blockaded Iranian ports. The US Central Command on Saturday said US forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began on 13 April.