• The agreement provides for the easing of sanctions against Iran, the freezing of Iranian assets and the continuation of negotiations.
• The nuclear issue and the conflict in Lebanon have not yet been resolved.
Light at the end of the tunnel? After (finally) fruitful discussions to end the war in the Middle East, the United States and Iran are seeking this Sunday, May 24, to finalize a peace agreement. However, the almost daily reversals of Donald Trump – who just a few days ago said he was ready to resume strikes against Iran – call for the greatest caution.
The President of the United States spoke of a compromise on Saturday « largement négocié » which would notably provide for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But on Sunday, he tempered his speech and hopes of an imminent agreement by declaring on Truth Social: “I have asked my representatives not to rush to reach an agreement, because time is on our side.”
A few hours earlier, his American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, very optimistic, had declared that an announcement was possible later in the day on Sunday concerning an agreement with Iran: “I think it may be possible that in the next few hours the world will receive some good news.”.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed, for his part, that Tehran was in « phase de finalisation » of a memorandum of understanding with Washington. “This does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on important issues.”underlined Esmaïl Baghaï, specifying that the nuclear file was not part of « à ce stade » of the agreement under discussion. HuffPost takes stock of this breakthrough in the negotiations and the main points included in this draft agreement.
• Fewer sanctions against Iran
According to the American press, this agreement would relax the sanctions weighing on Iran. According to CBS News, citing sources close to the discussions, the latest proposal would include freezing certain Iranian assets in banks abroad and continuing negotiations for another 30 days. A deadline also reported by Wall Street Journal.
• Reopening of Hormuz
This agreement would also allow ships to once again cross Hormuz, a vital strait for the world economy. It provides for the lifting of the naval blockade imposed by the United States on Iranian ports and the other blockade imposed by Iran since the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
The draft agreement with Iran « sous réserve d’être finalisé » includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, confirmed American President Donald Trump, in a message on his Truth Social platform. Its publication came after a telephone discussion with numerous leaders of Gulf states, but also from Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. Iranian sources familiar with the negotiations, cited by the Fars news agency, affirm that the agreement does provide for an unblocking of the Strait but that the latter would remain controlled by Iran.
• Nuclear issues and Lebanon not resolved
The agreement discussed does not, however, resolve the question of how Iran would precisely get rid of its stocks of enriched uranium, which would be the subject of a next round of negotiations. “in the coming weeks or months”reported on New York Times relying on American officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, said on Sunday that he agreed with Mr. Trump that any final agreement with Iran must « eliminer entièrement la menace nucléaire »according to a press release after a telephone conversation Saturday evening between the two allies.
Another crucial point which does not seem to appear in the agreement: the question of Lebanon, where the Israeli army, which lost a 22nd soldier on Saturday since the start of the war with pro-Iranian Hezbollah, is increasing raids and calls to evacuate in southern Lebanon. And this, despite a ceasefire that started on April 17.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, mediator in these negotiations, fueled the scenario on Sunday of a resolution of the conflict in several stages, declaring that he hoped “welcome the next negotiating session very soonâ€. A first unsuccessful session of talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 between senior American and Iranian officials.
The apparent rapprochement of the belligerents came after weeks of blockades and threats. Earlier on Saturday, Donald Trump estimated 50-50 the chances of a « bon » agreement or a resumption of war, from the media Axios. The same day, the main Iranian negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, promised a response “Thickening” if the United States resumed its war against Iran.
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