“Axios” reported, citing informed sources on Wednesday, that Washington believes it is on the verge of reaching an agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war in the Middle East.
The outlet said that “two American officials and two other informed sources” revealed the existence of a “one-page memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war and establishing a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.”
Washington expects a response from Tehran within the next 48 hours, according to the report.
Axios added that the agreement would require Iran to freeze uranium enrichment, in exchange for the United States agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, while both sides would also lift restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
It added: “No final agreement has been reached yet, but sources indicate that the chances of finalizing the deal have reached their highest level since the beginning of the war.”
In this context, less than 48 hours after its launch, Iranian media considered US President Trump’s decision to suspend the “Freedom Project” operation to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as a “retreat.”
Trump had announced on Sunday the launch of the “Freedom Project” aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, following the escalation of military confrontation between the United States and Iran.
The US president later explained that the suspension decision came in response to requests from Pakistan and other countries, in addition to “significant progress” in talks with Iran.
Sources stated that the memorandum, which consists of 14 points, would declare a ceasefire and launch 30-day negotiations to reach a detailed agreement on the nuclear program and the mechanism for reopening the strait.
They added that the ongoing talks are considered the “closest to an agreement since the start of the war,” despite continued disagreements over the duration of suspension of uranium enrichment and the monitoring mechanism of Iranian nuclear facilities.
The sources also indicated that Washington is considering imposing an enhanced inspection regime on Iranian nuclear facilities, in exchange for a gradual easing of the naval blockade and economic sanctions.
For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that reaching a final agreement “will not happen in one day,” stressing that the file remains complex and requires further understandings between both sides.