Iran says ‘nothing final’ as Trump weighs deal
• US president demands Iran never develop nuclear weapons, wants Hormuz opened without tolls • Tehran rejects Trump’s language, demands release of $12bn in frozen assets • Araghchi accuses US of excessive, shifting demands; Baqaei says no N-talks currently taking place • Vance says ‘lot of progress’ made in talks even as both sides trade barbs over truce violations • Washington denies Iran claim of destroying US plane in Bushehr WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump met advisers in the White House Situation Room for about two hours on Friday as he considered a potential agreement with Iran, though Tehran insisted there was still “no final agreement” on ending the Middle East war. A report from Iran’s Fars news agency also rebutted several key elements of Trump’s characterisation of the deal, citing informed sources as calling his remarks a “mixture of truth and lies”. US sources had told AFP the deal was just waiting on Trump’s sign-off following weeks of halting negotiations to end a conflict that had engulfed the Middle East and shaken the global economy. “I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,” Trump said in a lengthy social media post before the session, reiterating long-held demands that Iran agree never to have nuclear weapons and must open the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, told state media that the Islamic republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago”. “Regarding the understanding… exchanges of messages are continuing, but no final agreement has been reached yet,” he added. In his post, Trump said Tehran would remove mines in the Strait of Hormuz and end its blockade of the waterway with “no tolls”, while the US would lift its parallel blockade of Iranian ports, and the two countries would coordinate on removing and destroying Iran’s enriched uranium. He al...
Original source: Dawn Pakistan