Reuters and live coverage say the U.S. and Iran are nearing a draft understanding, while Iranian officials reject the terms as unrealistic.
The Middle East diplomacy around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz has shifted again, with Reuters reporting that the United States and Iran are close to a one-page memorandum of understanding even as Iranian figures publicly reject the reported terms.
Reuters said the draft would set out a framework for ending the war, but the report was based on sources and has not been confirmed by either government. Live coverage from The Guardian quoted an Iranian official calling the U.S. proposal a “wishlist, not a reality.”
President Donald Trump has also paused the U.S. "Project Freedom" operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying he wants time to see whether an agreement can be finalized. The pause suggests diplomacy is still active, but it does not mean the underlying blockade has ended.
The reported framework remains specific but unverified. The accounts cited in coverage indicate it would combine limits on Iran’s nuclear program with sanctions relief and changes to transit restrictions around the strait.
For now, the story is less about a signed deal than about a rapidly evolving negotiation in which the two sides are still publicly far apart. The next key development will be whether either government confirms the memorandum or formally rejects it.
Revision note
Revised with stronger sourcing caution and updated context.