- Trump says Iran wants a deal and the war “should end soon.”
- The timing of the next round of negotiations between the United States and Iran remains uncertain.
- Britain and France will chair a meeting on the role of the Strait of Hormuz.
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz was open following a ceasefire deal in Lebanon, while US President Donald Trump said he believed a deal ending Iran’s war would come “soon”, although the timeline remains uncertain.
Araghchi said in a post on
He said the passage of ships should take the route announced by the Iranian Ports and Navy Organization.
The Israeli-US conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, has killed thousands and destabilized the Middle East. The conflict has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes, threatening the worst oil shock in history.
Oil prices fell about 9%, extending earlier losses, following Araghchi’s post.
The International Monetary Fund this week lowered its global growth forecast and warned that the global economy risks falling into recession if the conflict continues.
The US blockade remains in place
Shortly after Araghchi’s statement, Trump posted on Truth Social: “IRAN JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE.”
However, Trump said the US military blockade of ships sailing through the strait to Iranian ports – announced after negotiations with Iran last weekend in the Pakistani capital Islamabad ended without a deal – remained in force.
He said the blockade would remain in full force until “our transaction with Iran is 100 percent complete,” which he said should happen very quickly given that most points have already been negotiated.
Trump had said Thursday that talks could take place as soon as this weekend, although that looked increasingly unlikely Friday afternoon given the logistics of gathering officials in Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
Despite Trump’s optimism, Iranian sources said Reuters On Friday, some “gaps remained to be filled” before reaching a preliminary agreement and senior religious leaders leading Friday prayers adopted a defiant tone.
In a sermon in Tehran, cleric Ahmad Khatami said: “Our people do not negotiate while being humiliated,” while in Isfahan, in the center of the city, the imam said: “We have not accepted the conditions proposed by the other side.”
In Islamabad, troops were seen along roads leading to the capital on Friday, but roads were still open and the government had not ordered businesses to close, as it had before the last meeting.
Progress in backdoor diplomacy
A Pakistani source involved in mediation between the United States and Iran said Friday that there was progress in backroom diplomacy and that an upcoming meeting between the two sides could result in the signing of a memorandum of understanding, followed by a comprehensive agreement within 60 days.
“Both sides agree in principle. And the technical details come later,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
One of the main sticking points concerns Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, with the United States proposing during last weekend’s negotiations a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity. Tehran has suggested a three-to-five-year shutdown, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Iran has demanded the lifting of international sanctions against it and Washington has insisted that all highly enriched uranium be removed from Iran. Two Iranian sources said there were signs of a compromise over HEU stocks, with Tehran considering shipping some out of the country.
Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that Iran had agreed to “turn the nuclear dust back to us,” but Iranian state media outlet Mizan disputed that claim on Friday, highlighting continuing differences.
No negotiations have ever taken place regarding the “transfer of highly enriched uranium from Iran to America and, of course, there is no agreement on this issue either”, he said, citing sources.
Ceasefire in Lebanon comes into effect
The U.S.-backed ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to largely hold Friday, despite some reports from the Lebanese army of violations by Israel.
Pakistan’s mediator said Thursday that a parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was an essential part of any negotiations on a deal to end the conflict in Iran.
The conflict in Lebanon resumed on March 2 when Hezbollah opened fire on northern Israel in support of Tehran, triggering an Israeli offensive that authorities say killed 2,000 people.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the ceasefire violations reported Friday.
