Iran and the United States have signaled that they are moving closer to an agreement aimed at transforming the existing ceasefire, which brought an end to weeks of conflict, into a more long-term solution.
Both sides are discussing a “memorandum of understanding,” which would outline a roadmap for resolving all outstanding issues, although no agreement is expected to be reached today.
However, what the memorandum actually contains remains unclear.
The central premise of this approach is that the memorandum, once signed, would halt hostilities—something that would be welcomed by both sides, with U.S. President Donald Trump facing midterm elections later this year and Iran’s economy in crisis.
The latest versions of the memorandum of understanding that Trump appears close to finalizing would also reportedly include the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, according to a person familiar with the matter.
A countdown process would then begin to address other contentious issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program.
However, Iranian state media has cast doubt on whether an agreement will be reached at all.
Differences “over one or two clauses of the possible memorandum of understanding still remain,” said Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency on Sunday.
