- Trump says Iran wants deal, war ‘should end soon’.
- The timing of the next round of talks between the US and Iran remains uncertain.
- Britain, France to lead meeting on the role of the Strait of Hormuz.
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz was open following a ceasefire deal agreed in Lebanon, while US President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come “soon”, although the timing remains unclear.
Araghchi said in a statement on X that the strait was open to all commercial vessels for the remainder of the US-brokered 10-day ceasefire between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon.
He said the passage of ships should be along the route announced by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran, which started on February 28, has killed thousands of people and destabilized the Middle East. The conflict also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas normally pass, threatening the worst oil shock in history.
Oil prices fell by about 9%, extending earlier losses, after Araghchi’s post.
The International Monetary Fund this week lowered its forecasts for global growth and warned that the global economy risked tipping into recession if the conflict was prolonged.
The US blockade remains in place
Shortly after Araghchi’s statement, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE IRAN STRAITS ARE FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE”.
However, Trump said the US military blockade of ships sailing through the strait to Iranian ports – announced after talks with Iran last weekend in the Pakistani capital Islamabad ended without a deal – remained in place.
He said the blockade will remain in full force until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,” which he said would have to happen very quickly since most points had already been negotiated.
Trump had said on Thursday that talks could take place as early as this weekend, although that looked increasingly unlikely as of Friday afternoon given the logistics of gathering officials in Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
Despite Trump’s optimism, Iranian sources said Reuters on Friday that some “gaps were yet to be resolved” before reaching a tentative agreement, and senior clerics leading Friday prayers struck a defiant tone.
In a sermon in Tehran, cleric Ahmad Khatami said: “Our people do not negotiate while being humiliated,” while the imam in the central city of Isfahan said: “We did not accept the terms proposed by the other side.”
In Islamabad, troops were seen along routes leading into the capital on Friday, but roads remained open and the government had not ordered businesses to close, as they did before the last meeting.
Backdoor diplomacy advances
A Pakistani source involved in mediating between the US and Iran said on Friday that there was progress in backdoor diplomacy and that an upcoming meeting between the two sides could result in the signing of a memorandum of understanding followed by a comprehensive agreement within 60 days.
“Both sides agree in principle. And technical bits will come later,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
One of the main issues has been over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, with the US proposing at last weekend’s talks a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity. Tehran proposed a three- to five-year freeze, according to people familiar with the proposals.
Iran has demanded that international sanctions against it be lifted, and Washington has pushed for the removal of all highly enriched uranium from Iran. Two Iranian sources have said there were signs of a compromise on the HEU stockpile, with Tehran considering shipping some of it out of the country.
Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that Iran had agreed to “give us back the nuclear dust”, but Iranian state media outlet Mizan disputed that claim on Friday, highlighting ongoing differences.
No negotiation on “the transfer of Iran’s highly enriched uranium to America had ever taken place, and of course there is no agreement on this matter either,” it said, citing sources.
Lebanon’s ceasefire goes into effect
The US-backed ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to be largely holding on Friday, despite some reports from the Lebanese army of violations by Israel.
Mediator Pakistan said Thursday that a parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was an essential part of any talks on a deal to end the conflict in Iran.
The conflict in Lebanon was revived on March 2 when Hezbollah opened fire on northern Israel in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli offensive that authorities say has killed 2,000 people.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the reported ceasefire violations on Friday.
