US President Donald Trump halted the signing of the emerging agreement with Iran at the last minute and instructed his diplomatic team to make several substantial revisions and changes to the existing text, Axios reported Sunday, citing senior US administration officials and senior figures familiar with the negotiations with Iran.
According to the report, Trump wants to reach a deal and expects to sign it soon, but insisted at a meeting held in the White House Situation Room on strengthening several clauses that are important to him. The changes demanded by the president focus mainly on oversight of Iran's nuclear materials and the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and have led to another round of talks between the sides that could last several days.
In its current form, the existing memorandum of understanding includes only a general commitment by Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, with no specific concessions beyond that. The current text sets a 60-day window for negotiations with Tehran and the lifting of US sanctions, with the first issues on the agenda being how to remove the stockpiles of enriched uranium and restrict further enrichment.
"They are in caves without email"
A senior administration official told Axios that Trump's new demands concern far more precise details. "These are specific details about how the US will take possession of the nuclear materials, and the timelines for carrying that out," the official said, adding that the president had also asked to change the wording regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to free movement.
A senior US official said the team would likely need about three days to receive an official response from the Iranians to the changes demanded by Trump. The official mocked the outdated communication methods used by the leadership of the Islamic Republic, saying: "They are literally sitting in caves and they don't use email."
"There will be a deal," the senior administration official said, summing up the current situation. "As for the exact timing, we will see. We are prepared to wait so that the president gets exactly what he is asking for. It could take a week, less or more. We hope that by the start of the week we will already have something concrete in hand."
Alongside the reports of delays, Iranian state media are reporting that the agreement is very close to being finalized. At the same time, Tehran claims that under the understandings, Iran is expected to receive billions of dollars in Iranian funds that have until now been frozen in foreign accounts around the world.
The White House is flatly denying those reports and making clear that the US has not agreed to unfreeze billions of dollars as part of the emerging deal. For now, the White House has declined to respond officially to Axios' request for comment on the matter.
