Trump seeks early deal, Iran says revisiting text
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 15 -- Iran pushed back on Donald Trump's assertion the warring countries would sign an interim peace deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as Sunday.
The Islamic Republic's leadership is still reviewing the memorandum of understanding, Iran's Fars News Agency reported, citing an unidentified official close to the negotiating team. As of Friday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had not agreed to the text, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg.
Adding to the tension, Israel's military said it struck Lebanon's capital of Beirut. It said it was targeting Hezbollah after the militant group fired more projectiles into northern Israel.
Hezbollah is a key ally of Iran, which launched ballistic missiles at Israel less than a week ago in retaliation for the Jewish state striking Beirut. Iran insists any interim deal with the US includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, a demand Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he won't accept until Hezbollah is disarmed and no longer firing on Israel. Trump late on Thursday said the US and Iran had reached an agreement, which is meant to see Tehran reopen the strait to commercial vessels and Washington lift a blockade of Iranian ports. The two would extend their ceasefire by around two months and go into further negotiations about curbing Iran's nuclear program.
"The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow," Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday, "and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL."
Iranian officials have emphasized there's been progress and say they are closer to a pact than at any point since the ceasefire started on April 8. Yet they've been more cautious than Trump, stating that not all the clauses of what's likely to be a 14-point document are finalized....
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