US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end \u201cquickly\u201d as Tehran considers a US peace proposal that would formally close the conflict but leave several core issues unresolved. <\/p>\n
Iran has not yet accepted the plan, and officials in Tehran have described it as closer to an American \u201cwish-list\u201d than a workable agreement.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said US officials had held \u201cvery good talks\u201d over the previous 24 hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to make a deal,\u201d Trump said. \u201cIt\u2019s very possible that we\u2019ll make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
He later added that, if progress continues, \u201cit\u2019ll be over quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly promoted the possibility of an agreement to end the war, which began on February 28, but previous efforts have not produced a final settlement.<\/p>\n
Tehran reviews proposal<\/p>\n
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, cited by Iran\u2019s ISNA news agency, said Tehran would convey its response to the US proposal.<\/p>\n
However, Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for parliament\u2019s powerful foreign policy and national security committee, dismissed the plan as \u201cmore of an American wish-list than a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also Read:\u00a0Trump warns of ‘higher level’ strikes if Iran rejects deal<\/a><\/p>\n Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also mocked reports that a deal was near. Writing in English on social media, he said: \u201cOperation Trust Me Bro failed.\u201d<\/p>\n Qalibaf said the reports amounted to US spin after Washington failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n One-page memorandum<\/p>\n A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation said the sides were close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict.<\/p>\n The memorandum would not immediately resolve the hardest issues. Instead, it would begin talks on reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting US sanctions on Iran and setting limits on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n A source briefed on the mediation said US negotiations were being led by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n Also Read:\u00a0US and Iran near war-end deal<\/a><\/p>\n If both sides approve the preliminary agreement, it would trigger a 30-day window for detailed negotiations toward a full deal.<\/p>\n The proposed memorandum, as described by sources, does not appear to require immediate concessions from either side. It also does not mention several major US demands that Iran has rejected in the past, including restrictions on Iran\u2019s missile programme and an end to Tehran\u2019s support for proxy militias in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The sources also did not mention Iran\u2019s existing stockpile of more than 400kg, or 882 pounds, of near-weapons-grade uranium.<\/p>\n Strait of Hormuz remains central<\/p>\n The two sides remain divided over Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions and control of the Strait of Hormuz.\u00a0Before the war, the waterway handled around one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil and gas supply.<\/p>\n Trump on Tuesday paused a two-day-old naval mission to reopen the blockaded strait, citing progress in peace talks. The Guardian also reported that Trump had paused the Hormuz shipping mission amid diplomatic movement and regional pushback.\u00a0<\/p>\n NBC News, citing two unnamed US officials, reported that Trump\u2019s abrupt reversal came after Saudi Arabia suspended the US military\u2019s ability to use a Saudi base for the operation.<\/p>\n According to the report, Saudi officials were surprised and angered by Trump\u2019s announcement that the US would help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia then told Washington it would deny the US permission to fly military aircraft out of a Saudi base or through Saudi airspace, NBC reported.<\/p>\n Trump says ‘too soon’ for face-to-face talks<\/p>\n Despite reports of diplomatic progress, Trump told The Post on Wednesday morning that it was \u201ctoo soon\u201d to begin thinking about face-to-face peace talks between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n Asked whether The Post should prepare to send a reporter back to Pakistan for a new round of negotiations, Trump responded: \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ll do it \u2014 it\u2019s too far,\u201d he added. \u201cNo, it\u2019s too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has previously said he would be open to traveling to Pakistan to sign a formal agreement, citing respect for Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir\u2019s role in bringing Washington and Tehran together.<\/p>\n