Possible Iran-US Deal Emerges Amid Fragile Ceasefire and Ongoing Tensions

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran and the United States appeared to be cautiously moving toward a possible agreement aimed at ending the war that erupted in late February, despite continued mistrust between the two sides and renewed military tensions this week.

Diplomatic contacts reportedly continued even after Tehran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire that has been in place since April. The accusation followed US claims that it carried out strikes in southern Iran targeting missile installations and vessels allegedly involved in mine-laying operations.

Iranian state television on Wednesday published what it described as a draft outline of a potential memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, while emphasizing that the text remained incomplete and subject to further negotiations.

The White House quickly rejected the report, calling it a “complete fabrication” and urging the public not to trust information released by Iranian state media.

According to Iranian officials and media reports, Tehran is currently finalizing a 14-point framework agreement with Washington centered on ending the conflict “on all fronts,” including in Lebanon, where Israel has intensified strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

While Iranian authorities have publicly disclosed only general elements of the proposal, additional details have emerged through state-affiliated media outlets.

On Monday, senior Iranian negotiators reportedly traveled to Qatar for discussions described by state media as part of the broader diplomatic process.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran is seeking the release of approximately $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets held abroad as part of any agreement. According to the report, roughly half of that amount — about $12 billion — would become available immediately upon announcement of the memorandum.

Although there is no official estimate for Iran’s overseas frozen assets, Iranian media have recently valued them at between $100 billion and $123 billion.

Another major component of the reported framework concerns the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy shipping routes. Since the outbreak of the war, Iran has maintained tight control over the strait, while the United States has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that the draft framework included provisions addressing the end of the US naval blockade and future arrangements governing maritime traffic through Hormuz.

Iranian state television reported that Washington had committed to lifting the blockade under the draft proposal. In exchange, Tehran would permit commercial shipping through the strait to resume within one month under conditions similar to those that existed before the war.

According to the reported draft, Iran would continue overseeing shipping lanes, inspecting vessels, and collecting service fees, while military ships would remain excluded from the arrangement. Iranian media stressed that Tehran had not agreed to reopen the strait unconditionally.

The White House denied the Iranian characterization of the draft agreement but did not specify which reported provisions it disputed.

Iran’s nuclear program, long one of the central points of contention between Tehran and Washington, appears to have been postponed to a later stage of negotiations.

Baqaei stated that detailed discussions concerning uranium enrichment levels and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would take place after the framework agreement is finalized. Iranian media indicated that nuclear negotiations would continue during a 60-day period following the signing of the memorandum.

US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expected Iran either to surrender its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States for destruction or dismantle it inside Iran under international supervision.

“The nuclear fuel will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or at another acceptable location,” Trump wrote.

One of Tehran’s primary demands throughout the negotiations has reportedly been legally binding guarantees that Washington would honor any future agreement, particularly after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Trump’s first term in office.

Under the draft framework cited by Iranian media, Tehran and Washington would enter a 60-day negotiation phase following agreement on the memorandum. If a final agreement is reached during that period, the draft reportedly proposes that it be endorsed through a binding resolution by the United Nations Security Council.

Iranian media described such a resolution as providing “the highest level of guarantee recognized in international law.”