Iran says deal with US closer than ever; Trump warns Tehran to get act together

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Friday that a deal with the United States had never been closer, after US President Donald Trump angrily accused Tehran of negotiating in bad faith. The reaction followed Iranian media publishing a breakdown of the purported deal, stressing Iran's insistence on its right to enrich uranium and control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, a senior White House official described the agreement differently, saying Iran had agreed to dismantle its nuclear programme, destroy its enriched uranium stockpile, and reopen the strait, with no return of frozen funds until these commitments were met. Trump had suggested on Thursday that a deal was imminent, but on Friday he angrily dismissed Iran's account as lies. "The terms that Iran leaked ... have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing," he posted. "Very dishonourable people to deal with. They better get their act together, and FAST!"

Araghchi attempted to downplay the row, posting that "the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer" and urging media to refrain from speculation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that a final text of a peace deal had been agreed, stating, "Peace has never been as close as it is now."

Trump's optimism had spurred a stock market rally and a sharp drop in oil prices, but Iran's demands could complicate finalization. A 29-year-old cafe worker in Tehran expressed skepticism, saying, "I don't know if it will be good or bad for us. The main purpose of this war was for the US to remove the system and this did not happen. So what does a deal do?"

According to Iran's IRNA news agency, after an initial agreement, there would be 60 more days of talks emphasizing Iran's right to enrich uranium and keep enriched material, and Iran would insist on managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Other reported details include ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, releasing $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, suspending sanctions on Iranian oil sales, lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and war reparations from the US and its allies.