WASHINGTON – American and Iranian negotiators are nearing completion of an agreement to end their longstanding dispute, with a senior U.S. official indicating Friday that an initial accord could be finalized within days.
“The negotiating team has got us in a very good spot, but let’s see here, we’re not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close,” the U.S. official told reporters while requesting anonymity.
According to the official, the proposed agreement fulfills U.S. President Donald Trump’s primary goals and “gets it in a very, very good place at the end of it.”
The proposed memorandum of understanding would require Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the United States would end its blockade of Iranian ports, the official explained to reporters.
Under the agreement’s provisions, Iran would dismantle its nuclear capabilities, with highly enriched uranium being destroyed locally before removal from Iranian territory, according to the official. The deal also establishes monitoring procedures to guarantee long-term compliance.
Should Iran meet its commitments, the country would receive economic relief through asset releases and reduced sanctions, the official noted.
“The Iranians don’t get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself,” the official stated.
“They get rewarded economically for complying with their obligations under the deal. So if they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they’ll get something. If they dismantle their nuclear program or their nuclear facilities, they’ll get something else,” the official explained.
