Trump claims US-Iran deal nearing completion, cites Strait of Hormuz reopening

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (May 24) said Washington and Tehran were nearing completion of a broad agreement intended to ease regional tensions, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen under the proposed framework.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement had been “largely negotiated” and that only final details remained under discussion ahead of a formal announcement. “An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump said.

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He described it as a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE" that still must be finalised by the United States, Iran and the other countries that participated in the calls. It capped a week in which the US weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic that would break a fragile ceasefire.

There was no mention of Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium, which Iran has sought to discuss later. There was no immediate comment from Iran or Israel.

Focus on Strait of Hormuz

He said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz — a vital global oil shipping route that has remained at the centre of rising tensions in the Gulf — would be among the key outcomes of the deal.

The announcement followed a series of high-level talks involving leaders from across the Middle East and beyond, reflecting growing international efforts to stabilise the region after months of military and diplomatic strain surrounding the Iran war.

Trump said he held talks from the Oval Office with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pakistani military chief Asim Munir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, among others.

The US president said he held separate talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the conversation had “gone very well."

Iranian media counters Trump

Iranian media, however, rejected Trump’s assertion that the Strait of Hormuz would fully reopen under the proposed agreement, insisting the waterway would remain under Tehran’s control firmly unchanged.

The semi-official Fars News Agency called Trump’s remarks as “far from reality” and said they did not reflect the actual terms under discussion.

According to the report, any future agreement would still leave the management of the Strait of Hormuz firmly under Iran’s control, including authority over shipping routes, transit timing, passage procedures and permits.

“Based on the latest exchanged text, if a possible agreement is reached, the Strait of Hormuz will still be under Iran’s management,” the agency stated.

It said that while Iran may agree to restore shipping traffic to pre-war levels, that should not be interpreted as unrestricted access.

“The management of the strait, determining the route, time, manner of passage, and issuing permits will remain exclusively under the control and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the report said.

Working to end conflict: Iran

Earlier, Iran said on Saturday it was working toward a Memorandum of Understanding to end the conflict with the United States after high-level discussions in Tehran involving Asim Munir.

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Pakistan’s military called the discussions as “encouraging”, while two Pakistani sources involved in the negotiations told Reuters that the proposed agreement was “fairly comprehensive to terminate the war.”

According to Reuters, the proposed framework would proceed in three stages — formally ending the conflict, resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and launching a 30-day negotiation window for a broader agreement, with the possibility of extension.

Trump earlier informed Axios he would decide on Sunday whether to resume attacks on Iran. “Either we reach a good deal or I'll blow them to a thousand hells,” he was quoted as saying.