Iran Media Says Deal Touted by Trump ‘Inconsistent With Reality'

Iranian media has denied President Donald Trump’s assertion that a deal between the warring nations is close to being finalized and says Tehran will still be managing the Strait of Hormuz – a key sticking point in negotiations to end the war.

Trump on Saturday said an agreement had "largely been negotiated" and specific details "will be announced shortly” after a “very good call” with leaders of Gulf states and other US allies in the region.

These followed talks in Tehran between Pakistani mediators and Iranian officials. "In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened," the U.S. president announced on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

Iran is yet to respond. However, the country’s Fars news agency, which is closely associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) controlling the waterway, said Tehran's official position was that the strait would remain "the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

It went on to contradict Trump's assertion that an agreement was close, calling it "incomplete and inconsistent with reality," according to the Middle East Eye.

Despite the president's apparent optimism that a deal will be reached to end the nearly three- month conflict, there remain several areas of fundamental disagreement between Tehran and Washington.

A full reopening of the Hormuz Strait-through which around a fifth of the world's oil typically flows-is a key U.S. demand but Iran has so far maintained its position of absolute sovereignty over the vital waterway.

Tehran has choked the flow of traffic through the strait by threatening and attacking ships transporting oil, gas and other goods. As a result, that has deterred most vessels from attempting the passage and shipping flows have plunged 90% from volumes before the war.

‘Progress’ In Negotiations

The U.S. side has struck an optimistic tone when discussing negotiations, which have taken place in a stop-start fashion since a fragile ceasefire came into place on April 8.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “significant progress” had been made, but told reporters on Sunday there was still “work to do” during a press conference on a state visit in India.

Rubio said there was "the possibility that over the next few hours the world will get some good news” regarding the Strait of Hormuz reopening.

Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, also congratulated President Trump on Sunday for "his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace," and said he hoped the country could host another round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. "very soon."

Pakistan is leading a regional mediation effort, with the country's top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, currently in Tehran for talks with Iranian leadership.

But Iranian media’s response raises questions over the Strait’s re-opening. Earlier this week too, Iran had appeared to shore up its control of the key shipping lane, formalizing a system which requires vessels to pay a toll and be granted permission to pass through the strait.

Iran has also not strayed from its core demands for an end to the U.S.’s blockade on its ports and the lifting of sanctions on its exports.

It also asserts its right to maintain its nuclear program which it says is for civilian energy purposes. Iran’s uranium enrichment has been a red line for Trump, who launched the war citing concerns that Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

However a swift resolution would prove beneficial for the U.S. president, whose economic approval rating has been sliding as the war continues to drive global oil and domestic gas prices to multi-year highs.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, has soared from $60 per barrel at the start of the year to over $120 peaks during escalations in the war.

Oil prices "could spike next week" if a deal failed to come through, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan wrote on X. He said if Trump's promises of an imminent agreement did not materialize, "prices will likely surge again."

What Is In The Deal?

The Trump administration has not revealed any details of a proposal yet but some have been leaked to U.S. media from unnamed sources reportedly familiar with the plans.

Reuters reported that the ‌framework would proceed in three stages, beginning with a formal end to the war, a de-escalation in the Hormuz Strait, and a 30-day negotiating period aimed at securing a more lasting agreement.

The deal would also be supported by a 60-day extension of the current ceasefire, during which Iran would be allowed to sell oil without restrictions, Axios reported citing a U.S. official.

According to the New YorkTimes, the deal includes an “apparent commitment” from Iran to surrender its highly enriched uranium. However, on Sunday, an anonymous "senior Iranian source" told Reuters Tehran had made no such commitment.

“The ​nuclear issue will ​be addressed in negotiations for ‌a ⁠final agreement and are therefore not part of the ​current deal," the source said.

Iran's Response

In public comments, Iranian officials have been cautious in their assessments of the agreement being touted by Trump.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said on Sunday Iran was "seeking peace with strength, pursuing diplomacy with dignity, and firmly defending the territorial integrity, independence and rights of our beloved Iran."

And Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said that any perceived alignment between the two sides should not be taken as an indication that an agreement can be reached on the core issues.

"The trend this week has been towards a reduction in disputes, but there are still issues that need to be discussed through mediators. We will have to wait and see where the situation ends in the next three or four days," said Esmail Baghaei, as quoted by Reuters.

Baghaei said the draft framework includes 14 clauses relating to "the essential points for ending the imposed war" as well as "fundamental issues" for Tehran.

"Within a reasonable period of 30 to 60 days, the details of these points will be discussed, and a final agreement will ultimately be concluded," he told the media on Saturday.

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