War in the Middle East: Donald Trump says an agreement was reached "widely negotiated" with Iran, "subject to being finalized"

An agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war has been “extensively negotiated”, Donald Trump said on Saturday May 23, but is “subject to being finalized” between the two countries and others in the region. The draft agreement with Iran includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the American president said in a message on his Truth Social platform, which came after a discussion with numerous Gulf leaders.

The Republican president said on Saturday that he had spoken on the telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “separately” from his call with the leaders of Gulf states. The call “went very well”, he said on his platform, while the American media have reported in recent days divergent strategies between Donald Trump and his Israeli ally, the first pushing for a diplomatic solution while the second would like to resume fighting.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured him that the trend was towards “rification” with American positions.
“This does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on important issues”, however underlined Esmaïl Baghaï.

“France is pushing for the diplomatic route”

For his part, Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday May 23 with Donald Trump and the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan about the war in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz, while American negotiations with Iran are intensifying, his entourage told AFP.

“France is pushing for the diplomatic route and a negotiated solution, with priority number one being the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, complete and without toll, the conclusion of a ceasefire and the resumption, then, of negotiations on the other aspects (nuclear, ballistic and regional)”, specified a diplomatic source.

Diplomatic contacts have increased in recent hours to try to bring the discussions to a successful conclusion and avoid a resumption of the war. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, spoke notably on the telephone with Mr. Trump and called for “giving priority to peaceful solutions”, according to his office.