President Donald Trump, however, tempered hopes of an imminent agreement on Sunday, saying he did not want to “rush.”
What do we know about the points on which the two parties seem to agree, and the others on which they seem to be stuck?
The nuclear issue may be addressed later
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, suggested as early as Saturday that the nuclear issue was not part of the current “agreement protocol” under discussion and would be addressed in separate negotiations.
But The New York Times, citing two anonymous American officials, claims that a key point of this agreement will be Tehran’s commitment to give up its stock of highly enriched uranium.
However, how the Islamic Republic will do this will be discussed in “the next round of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program,” the American newspaper added.
Iran’s nuclear issues to be negotiated within 60 days
Iranian press agencies Fars and Tasnim claim that nuclear-related issues will be negotiated within 60 days following the signing of the agreement protocol.
And, according to Fars, “Iran has not committed in this agreement to surrender nuclear stocks, remove equipment, close facilities, or pledge not to build a nuclear bomb.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, stated that he and Donald Trump agreed that any final agreement with Iran must “fully eliminate the nuclear threat.”
Will the Strait of Hormuz be unblocked?
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, de facto blocked by Iran since the beginning of the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28, is a central point of the discussions.
The quasi-blockage of this passage, through which 20% of the world’s consumed hydrocarbons passed before the war, has driven up oil prices and shaken the global economy.
Before hostilities, ships traversed it freely.
Donald Trump mentioned a compromise on Saturday that would involve the reopening of the strait. However, sources knowledgeable about the negotiations, cited by Fars, claim that if the agreement includes a blocking of the strait, it would remain under Iran’s control.
“The status of the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war situation,” emphasized Tasnim.
As for the American blockade of Iranian ports, the agency believes that it should be “fully lifted within 30 days.”
Donald Trump, however, declared on Sunday that this blockade would remain in place “until an agreement is reached.”
What about sanctions and assets?
Tehran regularly insists on the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad, blocked due to US sanctions.
Iran has emphasized that there will be no agreement unless some of these assets are released in the first stage, and a clear mechanism is established to guarantee the release of other blocked funds.
Without a definitive agreement, discussions are hindered by disagreements on this issue, according to Tasnim.
Fars agency reports that sanctions on oil, gas, and other petrochemical products would be lifted during negotiations to allow Iran to export these vital productions essential for its economy.
And Lebanon?
Israel continues to carry out daily strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement negotiated by the US, targeting the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement. Iran has stated that any ceasefire should apply to all fronts of the regional war, including Lebanon, and Hezbollah has expressed confidence that its ally will not abandon it.
