U.S., Iran inch toward deal

The United States and Iran were still negotiating the last terms of a preliminary agreement to end their war as of May 24, according to multiple reports, with officials and media accounts describing the talks as close but unfinished. Donald Trump said on May 23 that a peace deal had been “largely negotiated,” while The New Arab reported a day later that the two sides were working through the final points. Israel has reacted with alarm to the prospective terms, according to those reports, raising the risk that any near-term diplomatic breakthrough will be accompanied by a fresh round of regional friction. Bloomberg also reported on May 23 that Iranian officials said the talks were progressing even though key issues remained unresolved. ### How close are Washington and Tehran to an actual deal? The New Arab reported on May 24 that U.S. and Iranian negotiators were discussing the final points of a preliminary accord to end the war. Its report said the talks were “inches away” from a deal but not complete, and described the remaining issues as politically sensitive. Donald Trump said on May 23 that the deal was “largely negotiated” and would come “shortly,” according to USA Today’s account of his remarks. (newarab.com) The New York Times reported on May 24 that a U.S. official said the sides had agreed in principle on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and on an Iranian commitment to dispose of highly enriched uranium, while stressing that no agreement had yet been signed. Bloomberg reported on May 23 that Iran said the talks were focused on ensuring the fighting ends on all fronts and that other points of contention could be addressed later. That suggested the parties may be trying to lock in a first-stage arrangement before settling every dispute tied to the war. ### Which terms appear to be at the center of the negotiations? (usatoday.com) The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the clearest issues in the reported framework. Al Jazeera said on May 24 that the proposed deal seeks to reopen the waterway, which has been a central pressure point in the conflict. Highly enriched uranium is another reported focus. The New York Times said a U.S. official described an in-principle commitment by Iran to dispose of that material, though the official also said the deal remained unsigned. (bloomberg.com) Because the negotiations are still underway, the final wording and sequencing of those commitments remain unclear in public reporting. A broader memorandum has also framed the diplomacy in recent weeks. (aljazeera.com) Time, citing U.S. officials and earlier Axios reporting, said Iranian officials had been reviewing a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. ### Why is Israel so alarmed? Israel’s concern has centered on the substance of the emerging terms and on the possibility that its security priorities could be diluted in a U.S.-Iran bargain. (nytimes.com) The New Arab said there was widespread alarm in Israel over the terms under discussion. Axios reported on May 20 that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense call about a revised peace effort, and one source described Netanyahu as having his “hair was on fire” after the conversation. (time.com) The same Axios report said Qatar and Pakistan were involved in drafting a revised peace memo with other regional mediators. That points to a negotiation in which U.S.-Iran terms are being shaped alongside the interests of several regional governments, not only Washington and Tehran. ### What is still unresolved? CNN reported on May 24 that U.S. officials and some Iranian officials had touted progress but that the specific terms of a possible deal remained unclear. (newarab.com) CBS also reported that Tehran was still reviewing the latest U.S. proposal. NBC News reported that Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency described a visit by Pakistan’s army chief as aimed at reaching the point of officially announcing acceptance of the memorandum of understanding. (axios.com) That indicates mediators are still trying to close the gap between a draft framework and a formal public commitment. May 25 is now the key marker for the story because that is when The New Arab updated its report and when several live coverage pages said the negotiations could still take days to conclude. (cnn.com) The next concrete step is a signed preliminary agreement or a public statement from Washington, Tehran or the mediators setting out the remaining terms. (newarab.com) (nbcnews.com)