Update
US President Donald Trump said he will not be rushed into a deal with Iran, warning that Tehran’s attempt to wait him out politically will not work because he does not care about the midterms.
Trump added that the Strait of Hormuz will be open to everyone, and that the United States will watch over it as part of the terms being discussed with Iran.
He also rejected any short-term arrangement that would allow Iran and Oman to control the critical waterway, saying the strait is international waters and that nobody will control it.
The remarks came as the White House continued to reject an Iranian media report about a draft memorandum of understanding that would allegedly end the US blockade on Iranian ports in return for restoring commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
News
The White House denied the accuracy of what Iranian media published about the existence of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran that would end the US blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for restoring commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels.
Details:
• The White House’s “Rapid Response 47” account said the report from Iranian-controlled media was not true.
• The account described the memorandum of understanding that Iranian media claimed had been released as completely fabricated.
• The White House urged people not to believe what Iranian state media is publishing on this file.
• The denial came after Iranian state television reported that a draft understanding under negotiation included the withdrawal of US forces from Iran’s vicinity and the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports.
• The Iranian version had said that Tehran would, in return, restore commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within one month.
• In its denial, the White House did not announce alternative details about the negotiation track or Washington’s current terms.
• The denial cools talk of an imminent agreement, but it does not remove the ongoing risks linked to the strait, the blockade, sanctions and market movement.
What’s next?
Attention now turns to any further official clarification from the White House or the US State Department on the course of negotiations, and whether Tehran will respond to the US denial or amend its version of the draft understanding.
