Trump says Iran deal ‘largely negotiated,’ includes opening Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said Saturday a deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated,” with the agreement including the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after calls with regional leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Turkey, as well as mediator Pakistan.

What does Trump’s largely negotiated Iran deal include?

Trump said the agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping passage whose closure has choked global oil supply since the war began. He listed several Middle East powers, Turkey and Pakistan as parties to the deal, and said final details were “currently being discussed” and would be announced shortly.

What is Iran saying about the deal?

Iranian officials pushed back on Trump’s characterization, saying gaps between the parties remained.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei acknowledged what he called “a trend towards rapprochement,” but said that did not guarantee the two sides would reach agreement on major issues.

Baqaei said Tehran was finalizing a 14-point framework and hoped final details could be worked out within 30 to 60 days of that framework being completed.

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also warned that Washington would face a “more crushing and bitter” response than on the first day of the war if it resumed hostilities.

Ghalibaf issued the warning after meeting Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran. Munir has been a leading figure in international efforts to end the conflict, which broke out after the United States and Israel struck Iran on Feb. 28.

Where do negotiations stand after weeks of talks?

Weeks of negotiations, including historic face-to-face talks hosted by Islamabad, have not yet produced a permanent resolution or restored full access to the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he also held a separate call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing it as going “very well.”

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with Trump on Saturday and also held calls with the UAE president and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A Qatari statement said the two leaders discussed efforts aimed at calming the situation and promoting political solutions.

How is the impasse affecting ordinary Iranians?

The stalled negotiations have left many Iranians in uncertainty. “The state of ‘neither war nor peace’ is far filthier than war itself,” said Shahrzad, a 39-year-old Tehran resident, in comments to AFP.

She said she feared war could resume before she had settled into a new job.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Tehran remained engaged despite what he described as “repeated betrayals of diplomacy and military aggression” and “excessive demands” by Washington.

Araghchi also spoke with counterparts from Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and Oman, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

What is happening on the Lebanon front?

Fighting on the Lebanese front has continued despite an April 17 ceasefire. Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Saturday, including one that hit a Lebanese army barracks and wounded a soldier.

Israel said one of its soldiers was killed Friday near the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel, after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader.

Hezbollah said Saturday its chief Naim Qassem had received a message from Araghchi indicating that Iran “will not give up its support” for the group.

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