According to American media Axios and CNN, the White House is not expecting an agreement in the coming hours, which could take several more days to receive approval from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. After over a month of conflict resulting in thousands of deaths, a ceasefire has been in place since April 8 between Iran and the United States, but the global economy continues to be shaken by the near blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked by Iran since the start of the war initiated by the United States and Israel on February 28, is a key point of discussion. Under this agreement, Iran would commit to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and disposing of its stock of enriched uranium in a manner that is yet to be finalized. Donald Trump has stated that the American blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. The American president had ordered the blockade of Iranian ports after the failure of an initial round of Iran-US talks in Islamabad.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated his call on Sunday for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran, stating that negotiations on enrichment, highly enriched uranium, and their commitment to never acquire nuclear weapons would follow as agreed. He mentioned a “sixty-day” deadline and the support of “seven or eight countries in the region” for this approach. Rubio also emphasized that nuclear negotiations are highly technical and cannot be resolved in 72 hours on a whim, as reported by the New York Times in New Delhi.
Despite progress in negotiations over the weekend, and despite a ceasefire agreement negotiated by the United States, Israel continued its strikes in Lebanon, claiming to target the pro-Iranian movement Hezbollah. Tehran reiterated during discussions with Washington that any ceasefire must apply to all fronts of the regional war, including in Lebanon.
