If it is perceived in the region that a deal with Iran allows the regime to survive and become more powerful over time, we will have poured gasoline on the conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq.

A deal that is perceived to allow Iran to survive and possess the ability to control the Strait in the future will put Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Shia militias in Iraq on steroids.

Israeli officials remain concerned that an interim agreement wi mainly extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and gradually ease sanctions without fully addressing Iran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpiles.

The U.S. has continued reassuring Israel regarding the uranium issue.

“The message from everyone was: please stop the war for the benefit of the whole region,” the source said.

Negotiations are progressing positively, with mediators hoping to finalize and announce a one-page framework agreement by tomorrow before beginning talks on a more detailed deal several days later.

While Pakistan has led the mediation effort, support from Qatar over the past week, along with pressure from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, helped narrow the gaps between the parties.

I am in the Oval Office at the White House where we just had a very good call with President Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of The United Arab Emirates, Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Minister Ali al-Thawadi, of Qatar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, of Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Türkiye, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, of Egypt, King Abdullah II, of Jordan, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all things related to a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE.

An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed. Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well. Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.

In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth informed Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi about the possible delay earlier this month, as the Pentagon prioritizes rebuilding its own missile inventories.

Japan had expected to receive the missiles by 2028 as part of efforts to strengthen deterrence against China.

The framework also calls for the withdrawal of American forces from the "immediate vicinity of Iran."

Under the proposal, both sides would then have 30 days — with the option of extending the period by mutual agreement — to negotiate unresolved nuclear issues.

During that period, maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be facilitated.

In the Roman mind, Rome was the undisputed center of the world.

Yet the Iranians shattered that illusion; when Marcus Julius Philippus (Philip the Arab) marched east against Persia, the campaign did not result in Roman victory — it ended in a peace established on Sasanian terms: the emperor had to come to terms!

The Islamic Republic would still retain full authority over the strait, including control of shipping routes, transit timing, permits, and passage procedures, contradicting recent claims by Trump that the situation was returning to normal.

Iran also stated that no commitments related to its nuclear program were discussed at this stage of negotiations and claimed U.S. officials privately described Trump’s public statements as largely intended for domestic political and media audiences.

This memorandum of understanding does not include any clause related to the Iranian nuclear issue and the withdrawal of the American fleet from the vicinity of Iran.

The memorandum includes the release of half of the frozen Iranian funds, which amount to 12 billion dollars, and the end of the American naval military blockade.

A 30-day deadline has been granted to reach a nuclear agreement after signing the framework agreement.

The proposed agreement would halt hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon, while also lifting the U.S. naval blockade against Iran and restoring unrestricted commercial shipping through the strait without Iranian tolls.

Contentious nuclear issues were deliberately left out of the framework and would instead be negotiated separately within 30 to 60 days.

The arrangement would also release approximately $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets held overseas.