MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

United States and Iran acknowledge preliminary agreement but disagree on its essential terms

The most significant divergences concern the practical aspects of the eventual deal

The administrations of US President Donald Trump and the Iranian government confirmed on Friday the existence of a preliminary agreement aimed at extending the current ceasefire by sixty days and opening formal talks on Iran's nuclear program, in what amounts to the most significant diplomatic advance since the start of the war three months ago. However, the versions disseminated by Washington and Tehran on the content of the understanding differ substantially on the central points: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of the highly enriched uranium under Iranian control, and the possible payment of frozen funds to the Islamic Republic.

Trump announced on his Truth Social network that he would take “a definitive decision” after a meeting with his team in the White House Situation Room, although the presidency later limited its communication to confirming the end of the meeting without further pronouncement. For its part, the semi-official Iranian agency Fars confirmed the preliminary agreement but emphasized that it still requires ratification by the authorities in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaí maintained that the US naval blockade was “an illegal measure” from its inception and warned that “it remains to be seen in practice whether they will truly fulfill what they say.” Fars characterized the US version as a mixture of “truths and falsehoods” oriented toward presenting a “fictitious victory.”

The most significant divergences concern the practical aspects of the eventual deal. Trump argued that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would take place “without tolls” and demanded that Iran immediately remove the maritime mines deployed during the acute phase of the conflict. The United States would, in parallel, lift the blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran stated instead that the reopening will occur only after Washington withdraws its blockade, and denied that the document prohibits the application of inspections and tariffs on maritime traffic. Trump also announced that US forces would undertake, in coordination with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the recovery and subsequent destruction of the highly enriched uranium buried under nuclear facilities attacked last year. Fars rejected this point, citing informed sources arguing that the document “basically lacks foundation” on that point.

A third critical point concerns the eventual financial flow. Trump stated in his message that “no money will be exchanged” between the two adversaries. Fars argued, by contrast, that the memorandum contemplates the unblocking and payment of twelve billion dollars from frozen Iranian funds, a provision the agency described as “the most important” of the document. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated on Friday that any relief of the sanctions will be “gradual.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio held in parallel a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dhar, in recognition of Islamabad's role as the main mediator in the talks.