War in the Middle East. An agreement between the United States and Iran is still possible this Monday, according to…

Will the discussions between Tehran and Washington succeed and if so, when? Iran reported this Monday progress in negotiations with the United States aimed at putting a lasting end to the war, but ruled out the prospect of an imminent agreement. Donald Trump, for his part, insisted on the importance of arriving at an “excellent” text.

Visit to Tehran by the head of the Pakistan army – mediator of the discussions -, all-out diplomatic contacts in the Gulf, positive declarations from both sides… The situation, which has been in an impasse for weeks, appears to be unblocking itself since Saturday. Enough to relieve the markets, where oil prices fell below the 100 dollar mark on Monday.

Trump wants ‘excellent deal’ or nothing

“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues under discussion,” commented this Monday the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaïl Baghaï. “But to say that the signing of an agreement is imminent, no one can say that,” he qualified, accusing Washington of being fickle.

The American president also tempered hopes of a rapid conclusion. “Either the deal with Iran will be an excellent and meaningful deal, or there will be no deal,†he wrote on Truth Social, while his Israeli ally wants to “entirely eliminate the nuclear threat†– a point that Tehran does not want to address immediately As part of the peace plan, Trump asks Saudi Arabia and Qatar to sign the Abraham Accords, which aim in particular to normalize relations with Israel.

Triggered on February 28 by an American-Israeli attack on Iran, the conflict spread to a large part of the Middle East and left thousands dead, especially in Iran and Lebanon where the pro-Iranian movement Hezbollah joined the hostilities in early March by targeting the territory. Israeli. A ceasefire has been in force since April 8 between Iran and the United States, but the world economy continues to be shaken by the virtual blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the initiative of Iran for almost three months.

Iran opens door to compromise on Hormuz

Seeming to open the door to compromise, Iran spoke of fees for “navigation services,” rather than tolls, imposed on ships transiting the strait. In exchange, he demands the lifting of the American blockade of Iranian ports, which Donald Trump has said he wants to maintain in force “until an agreement is concluded, certified and signed.” As part of the behind-the-scenes negotiations, China, more than half of whose crude imports transported by sea come from the Middle East, mainly via the Strait, received Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday.

Iran is demanding a release of part of these assets from the first stage and the establishment of a clear mechanism to guarantee the release of other funds, according to an “informed source” cited by the Tasnim agency. According to this source, disagreements persist on the subject. The latter is crucial for an Iran weakened by decades of sanctions and war, according to analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. “There is no doubt that without reconstruction, its future would be at stake,” he explains.

According to a source close to the discussions, the governor of the central bank of Iran, as well as the head of diplomacy and the country’s chief negotiator, are visiting Doha on Monday, to discuss in particular the release of funds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also assured Sunday that Donald Trump had reiterated “the right” of Israel to defend itself.

The leader of Hezbollah, Naïm Qassem, said he hoped that the agreement between Washington and Tehran would include Lebanon. But the leader of the Shiite movement also once again rejected the direct negotiations of the Lebanese government with Israel, a fourth session of which is planned for early June in Washington, and repeated that disarmament of his organization, demanded by the Lebanese authorities, would realize an “Israeli project”. Israeli strikes have left more than 3,100 dead in Lebanon and displaced more than a million people.