OPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ A PRIORITY, NUCLEAR TALKS LATER
At pro-government rallies held across Iran on Saturday night, residents and news agencies reported that hardliners opposed to the framework agreement loudly voiced their dissatisfaction.
A resident in the northeastern city of Mashhad told Reuters that some protesters chanted: “Death to the compromiser,” in an apparent reference to Araghchi, “Compromiser, resign, resign.”
The proposed memorandum of understanding calls for reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade, sources on all sides of the talks said. Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme – a key rationale Trump has given for the war – would take place afterwards.
“Iran is going to open up the Strait of Hormuz, that’s a requirement. It could be open with no tolls. As they do that, we will lift our blockade,” a US official told reporters.
“It’s going to happen in conjunction, and part of the next step, the phase after that, is going to be the demining of the straits,” the official said, indicating countries in the Group of Seven major powers could have a role in this.
Trump discussed the efforts to end the Iran conflict in a call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Downing Street said on Saturday.
Draft terms described to Reuters by multiple sources indicate the US would begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports, in return for Iran opening the strait.
Iran’s Fars news agency quoted Baghaei as saying the release of Iran’s frozen assets was an integral part of the agreement and also that Iran would have to charge for services in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said foreign military bases in the region must end, the agency reported, without providing details.
Iran’s nuclear programme would be addressed during a 60-day period of talks. A US official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.
