Iran agrees peace deal with US soon; Trump lashes out at Tehran over leaked details

New Delhi: Iran has said an agreement with the US on ending the West Asia war was “never closer” than now, agreeing with what president Trump announced a day earlier, even as he lashed out at Tehran for media “leaks” of the details, calling them “fake news”. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US “has never been closer,” stressing that media speculations about the deal should end “pending its finalization”. Trump endorsed Araghchi’s statement, reposting the latter’s X post on his Truth Social platform, after blasting Tehran for the alleged leaks to the state media on the text of the bilateral agreement.

Araghchi’s Friday post on X was the direct indication from Iran that a potential breakthrough in the negotiations with the Trump administration had been achieved. Late on Friday, the Iranian foreign minister told Press TV that the agreement was yet to be signed, though it was being considered in two stages, with an MoU being signed first and negotiations on several pending issues to be held later. The Iranian media reported that the first stage of the MoU would lead to a halt in the fighting, including in Lebanon, with commitments not to attack again. The issues on Iran’s nuclear programme, lifting of American sanctions, and unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad would be discussed later in the second stage of negotiations.

Araghchi stressed that the Strait of Hormuz would continue to be in Iran’s control, along with Oman, with its future administration being different than at present. He mentioned that the first MoU was still being reviewed by both sides, as deep distrust was hampering the deal signing. In a cryptic message on X, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator in the talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “Commitments made must be commitments kept. No ifs, no buts, no excuses. For the close deal ahead, there is no other way. You reap what you sow.”

Trump calls Iran media ‘leaks’ on deal as ‘fake news’

The US president, though, hit out at Iranian state media for the alleged “fake news” on the details of the peace deal. In his Truth Social post, Trump said the published terms had “NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.” He called the Iranian leadership “very dishonourable people to deal with.” “With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith,” he added.

Trump was reportedly responding to the Iranian state-run news agency IRNA’s report that claimed “seven main points” of the deal did not provide for Tehran to concede to any of the US’s demands on the nuclear programme or on the control over the Strait of Hormuz. In another media engagement, Trump claimed Iran had privately “apologized for putting out false information.” The report also claimed Trump did not clarify how this apology from Iran was conveyed to him.

American media, meanwhile, quoted a senior Trump administration official as saying that the deal was “not quite at the finish line yet, but we are close.” The unnamed official said the MoU would involve “significant” sanctions relief and the unfreezing of the Iranian assets, in exchange for Tehran dismantling its nuclear programme and handing over the enriched uranium. But Iran would not receive any immediate concessions from the US for signing the deal, he said, adding that the sanctions on Iran would be lifted and its assets unfrozen, provided Iran complied with the agreement. Earlier, US vice president JD Vance had said none of the Iranian frozen assets would be immediately released after the signing of the initial MoU.