IRAN – US President Donald Trump had a meeting with top aides on Friday to make a "final determination" about a framework for extending the ceasefire with Iran, but it concluded without clarity on the next steps.
He said Iran must agree to never have a nuclear weapon or bomb, that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened for "unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions", and that any mines in the waterway be "destroyed".
The meeting was held in the White House's Situation Room, used for dealing with major crises. Iran said it was not negotiating on its nuclear programme - which it insists is wholly for civilian purposes. On Thursday, the two countries had agreed on a framework of a deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - pending the approval of Trump and Iran's leadership, according to US officials. The deal would reportedly extend the ceasefire for 60 days and launch talks on the future of Iran's nuclear programme.
"President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon," a White House official told CBS News, the BBC's US news partner. Since the ceasefire came into effect on 8 April, Trump has repeatedly suggested the US and Iran are close to a deal and negotiations are progressing, but so far there have been no substantive results. In a social media post on Friday, Trump said he was prepared to lift the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing ships caught in the waterway to "start the process of 'heading home!”. He also insisted that Iran allow the US to remove and destroy its enriched uranium.
"No money will be exchanged, until further notice," he said. "Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to". Later, a White House official confirmed to the BBC that the meeting in the Situation Room had concluded. The official provided no further details. Iran's Fars news agency cited informed sources as saying that Trump's latest comments were a "mixture of truth and lies".
There was no provision to destroy nuclear materials in the memorandum of understanding, the agency reported. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV it was "focused on ending the war, and there are no negotiations on the nuclear issue". The US has long demanded that Iran stop producing highly enriched uranium and dispose of its existing stockpile, which in theory could be used to create nuclear weapons. (BBC)
