ISNA: Iran and US agree on formula for further negotiations

According to the agency, the parties are exchanging messages and draft documents, trying to agree on a formula for further negotiations.

Previously, Iranian sources stated that Tehran was studying American proposals regarding the “framework and confidence-building measures.”

The Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera, citing an Iranian official, reported that the negotiators were “very close” to agreeing on a draft text, but key differences remained.

According to Reuters, Iran is seeking a comprehensive cessation of hostilities, guarantees that there will be no new attacks, the lifting of restrictions on oil exports and the unfreezing of assets. In turn, Washington insists on discussing Iran’s nuclear program as a central condition for a settlement.

On May 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that there were “positive signs” in negotiations with Iran, but stressed that Washington was ready to consider other options if diplomacy did not lead to an agreement. “There are some positive signs, but I don’t want to be overly optimistic. We’ll see what happens in the coming days,” the US secretary of state told reporters. According to Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump would prefer a diplomatic settlement with Iran. “That’s always been his preference. If we can get a good deal, that’ll be great. I can’t guarantee it will happen, but I can say we’ll do everything we can to get an agreement.” At the same time, he noted: “If there is no good deal, the president has made it clear that he has other options. I will not specify which ones, but everyone already understands what is at stake.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that Washington would likely destroy highly enriched uranium from Iran once it took control of it. “We will get it,” the president emphasized during a press conference. “We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we won’t let them keep it.” The statement came amid reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei allegedly ordered that enriched uranium not be removed from the country. An Iranian official quoted by Al Jazeera later denied the reports.

The fate of Iranian uranium was also discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to China and meeting with Xi Jinping. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin told the Chinese leader about the proposal to transport and store Iranian enriched uranium on Russian territory.

On Thursday, the Iranian ISNA agency reported that Tehran was preparing a “response” to the American document regarding the possible end of the war. According to the agency, the document transmitted by the United States is devoted to the framework of the settlement and confidence-building measures; Details of the proposals are not provided in the message.

A new proposal to resolve the war with Iran, prepared by Qatar and Pakistan with the participation of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, has caused tension between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios previously wrote, citing informed sources. According to the author of the publication, Barak Ravid, during a telephone conversation, Trump and Netanyahu discussed an initiative that should narrow the gap between the positions of the United States and Iran: Tehran should make clear commitments on the nuclear program, and Washington should determine a mechanism for gradually unfreezing Iranian funds. Axios sources say Netanyahu opposes the proposal and may seek a meeting with Trump in Washington soon to outline his objections in more detail.

According to American media, differences between Trump and Netanyahu were also evident in a telephone conversation that took place two days earlier and was described by sources as “tense.” According to CNN and the Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu urged Trump that waiting longer would play into Iran’s hands and insisted on continuing as planned, while the US president said he preferred to give diplomacy more time “to save lives.” According to the WSJ, in an earlier conversation on Sunday, Netanyahu also stressed that Israel is skeptical that Iran will comply with any agreement to dismantle its nuclear program or abandon attacks on countries in the region.

The publications came against the backdrop of Iranian media reports about the ongoing exchange of proposals through intermediaries. Nour News Agency, close to the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, reported, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai, that the United States, through Pakistan, sent “revised points and considerations” to Tehran after receiving the Iranian proposal; According to Bagai, the Iranian side continues to study them.

Previously, Nour News also reported that Iran does not consider itself bound by American deadlines and will announce a response after completion of consideration of the proposal. In earlier statements, the Iranian side linked a possible end to the war with the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as issues of lifting sanctions, unfreezing assets and the regime for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Axios, Trump has not yet decided whether to continue diplomatic efforts or resume strikes on Iran. Earlier, the publication reported that the US President temporarily suspended preparations for the attack after appeals from the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries, but ordered that readiness for a large-scale operation be maintained if the negotiations do not lead to an acceptable result.

On May 20, answering questions from reporters before taking off from Andrews Air Force Base, Donald Trump said that Netanyahu “will do whatever I say.” At the same time, when asked directly whether the positions of the two leaders on Iran coincide, Trump answered briefly: “Yes.” Trump also expressed support for Netanyahu, calling him a “wartime prime minister” who he believes is being unfairly treated in Israel itself: “They have a president there who treats him very badly.” Speaking about negotiations with Iran, Trump said that the Strait of Hormuz should be opened immediately: “We will give one chance. I’m not in a hurry.” He said he would prefer a peaceful solution: “Ideally, I would like as few people to die as possible. We can do things differently, but I would like few people to die.” Trump also questioned whether Iran’s leadership is acting in the interests of its own people, noting an “unprecedented level of anger” in Iranian society. When asked whether the negotiations were dragging on, Trump replied: “Let’s put it this way: the war in Vietnam lasted 19 years, in Afghanistan – 10, in Iraq – 12, in Korea – 7. World War II – 4 years. In Iran now – three months, and most of this time there was a truce.”