President Donald Trump has announced that the United States and Iran have reached a 'great settlement' and are close to signing a peace deal, but Tehran has pushed back, insisting no final agreement has been reached.
Trump's Announcement
Speaking from the White House, Trump told reporters that a settlement had been achieved and only the finalization of documents remained before the agreement could be concluded. He expressed confidence that the paperwork would be completed soon and suggested a signing ceremony could take place in Europe.
'We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,' Trump said, adding that the agreement was now subject to the completion of final documents.
The announcement came shortly after Trump revealed that he had called off planned military strikes against Iran as negotiations advanced. He also indicated that while discussions had made significant progress, some measures, including the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, would remain in place until any agreement is fully concluded.
Tehran's Response
However, Tehran quickly pushed back against Trump's claims. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had not reached a final decision on any agreement with Washington. According to him, much of the text under negotiation had been completed, but disagreements remain over new demands introduced by the U.S. side.
'So far, Iran has not reached a final conclusion on the agreement,' Baqaei said.
The conflicting statements have created uncertainty over the true status of the negotiations, with Washington presenting the deal as nearly complete while Tehran insists discussions are still ongoing.
Proposed Terms
While neither side has released a final official document, reports indicate that discussions have centered on:
- Reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz to normal shipping traffic
- Extending and strengthening the current ceasefire arrangements
- Launching further negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme
- The handling and disposal of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium
- Future discussions on sanctions and economic restrictions imposed on Iran
However, disagreement remains over several reported terms. Iranian media reports have suggested that Iran expects sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, and broader economic concessions as part of any agreement. Trump has publicly rejected some of those reported terms, insisting that descriptions released by Iranian sources do not reflect the agreement being negotiated by the United States.
Background
The negotiations come after months of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, including military confrontations and disputes over Iran's nuclear activities and the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
While both sides acknowledge that talks have progressed significantly, Iran maintains that no final decision has been reached, leaving the fate of the proposed peace deal uncertain.
