Iran, US Moving Closer To Draft a Deal? | WION Pulse

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]But the Iranian state television has said that Tehran has obtained a draft of the initial and the unofficial framework of this so-called memorandum of understanding with the United States for ending this American-Israeli war on Iran.

[00:00:15]Now, according to the Iranian state television, as part of this framework, Tehran will restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month.

[00:00:26]While the United States will have to withdraw its military forces from Iran's vicinity and also must lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships.

[00:00:37]Tehran's estate TV has said that the framework that excludes military vessels and envisages Iran managing the ship traffic through the strait in cooperation with Oman is not yet finalized, adding that Tehran will take a no steps without tangible verification.

[00:00:54]The state television has also said that if a final draft is reached within 60 days, this could be approved as a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.

[00:01:06]The White House says the report from the Iranian state media apparently is not true and that the MOU that has been put forth in the public domain is a complete fabrication.

[00:01:18]It also went on to state that nobody should believe what Iran state media is now putting out.

[00:01:24]Remember, the war in West Asia erupted after a sharp escalation between Iran and Israel earlier this year with both sides exchanging missile and drone attacks that had disrupted shipping in the Gulf and had drawn in the US military's involvement.

[00:01:38]So, situation in West Asia continues to evolve. Iranian guards have said that the possibility of war with Washington is pretty low this moment, but has warned that the country remains fully prepared for any potential American or Israeli aggression.

[00:01:53]The statement has come a day after Iran accused the United States of breaching the ceasefire after the Americans staged a few bombings on Bandar Abbas and a few other sites along the Persian Gulf.

[00:02:08]Now, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, a senior Iranian navy official has said that the area from Chabahar to Mahshahr will be turned into a graveyard for any aggressors.

[00:02:20]Referring to the locations along Iran's southern coast where the United States had launched its bombings, claiming that these were self-defense strikes.

[00:02:31]The Iranian official also added that the armed forces are ready with full magazines if a similar attack happens again.

[00:02:37]The Iranian state media has reported blasts in south of Iran in the port city of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz, whereas Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said that its forces actually shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone entering its airspace.

[00:02:53]It also fired at an F-35 fighter jet, which the Iranians claim they were able to lock on to a game.

[00:03:00]With no clear winner in the war, neither the United States nor Iran appear ready for a compromise on the key sticking points in the negotiations, which include the Strait of Hormuz and also Iran's nuclear program.

[00:03:11]And now, Iran is reportedly pushing for the release of nearly $24 billion in frozen assets as negotiations with the United States continue in Qatar.

[00:03:22]And according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Tehran wants at least $12 billion made available immediately as part of a proposed 14-point framework that is aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.

[00:03:39]All right. Now, joining us on the broadcast, we've caught Professor Peter Kuznick, who's a professor of history and director of nuclear studies institute at the American University.

[00:03:47]He's joining us live from Washington, D.C. Professor, thank you very much indeed for joining here on Beyond. Now, what do you make of this memorandum of understanding that's been put forth by the Iranian state media, where they've put out some very interesting details that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would be lifted, but the Iranians will exercise some level of control on who actually gets to access the Strait of Hormuz? The Americans have of course said that this document that's been put forth is a complete fabrication.

[00:04:21]You know, it's very difficult to believe either side in this war.

[00:04:26]Both sides have their propaganda machines that spin falsehoods repeatedly.

[00:04:32]The Iranians have been much closer to telling the truth throughout this fighting than the United States has, but the sad thing about it is that it looks like we're no closer to resolution.

[00:04:45]We take one step forward and two steps back. One step forward and two steps back. So, it looked a few days ago as if we were close to at least an initial agreement on the wording in a memorandum of understanding that would lead to 30 to 60 days of negotiations.

[00:05:05]Now, it looks like even that is falling apart.

[00:05:08]So, we're in this kind of impasse of uncertainty and confusion and chaos, but the clock keeps ticking for the United States. The clock keeps ticking for the Trump regime because the midterms are approaching. And we see Trump's approval ratings going down. We see support for the US war against Iran going down, and they're already very, very low.

[00:05:36]And so, Trump is in big He's Trump might say he doesn't care about the midterm elections, but we know that his party does, and everybody around him does. And so, it makes Trump look even more uh lost and out of step with the American people when he says that.

[00:05:54]And also, we heard from Donald Trump just a little while back where he again said, pretty much in his characteristic style, that Iran, he thinks, is very close to making a deal because Iran has got no choice. In your assessment, the key sticking point that are on the table that is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclearization of Iran, and also another aspect that the Iranians and the Israelis want the Iran means to think about is to give up their ballistic missiles and drones.

[00:06:22]In your assessment, do you think Iran would be willing to negotiate all American terms on any of these three aspects?

[00:06:30]I I think the Iran is very willing to negotiate on opening the Strait of Hormuz and give the US lifting its blockade and removing US troops from the area. Iran will be happy with that.

[00:06:46]Iran seems to be willing at some point to make a long-term deal about its enriched uranium. You have to remember that in 2015, Iran gave up 98% of its enriched uranium, the highly enriched uranium.

[00:07:03]They might be willing to do that again.

[00:07:05]More likely, what they're going to say now is they want to down-blend it.

[00:07:10]So, it will be not at weapons rates of enrichment, but it'll be at rates that can be used for civilian nuclear energy program. So, they could find a compromise on that. The Israelis do not want to go along with the idea that there's going to be a complete, total, verifiable cease-fire in Lebanon.

[00:07:33]The Israelis have hitting Lebanon and continue to do so. And so, that's a sticking point. Then, the question of sequencing and the question of removal of US troops.

[00:07:46]They are going to lift the blockade in the Gulf and so but will they actually be willing to remove additional US troops? The US has tens of thousands of troops and bases throughout the region. So that's another sticking point. You remember during the JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal, Iran was did give up any possibility of reaching a bomb within a year. Mhm. But the the former supreme leader had a fatwa against nuclear weapons. But then the US and Israel bombed and killed all the moderate leaders in Iran and now you've got the Revolutionary Guard in control and the hardliners. So we've created a situation that makes it much more difficult to get to a resolution than it would have been before this all started.

[00:08:40]I think those are all some very crucial key sticking points there. Thank you very much indeed Professor Kuznick for joining us with our perspective, sir.

[00:08:47]My pleasure. Thanks for having me. For all the latest news, download the Vion app and subscribe to our YouTube channel.