Trump says agreement with Iran to be announced soon
2026-05-23
US President Donald Trump said on the 23rd that a deal to end fighting with Iran would be announced soon. He said most of the negotiation was over and that the Strait of Hormuz would be open.
Phone talks with Middle Eastern countries
In a post on his social media account, he said he had held phone talks on a planned memorandum with Iran with leaders of Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He wrote that the final details were being discussed at present.
He named the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Pakistan as the people he had spoken with. Separately, he also spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who led the fighting with Iran, and said it went very well.
Iran also in final adjustments
Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran was 'making final adjustments' to a memorandum aimed at ending the fighting with the United States. Iranian media reported this on the 23rd. He also said the gap between the two sides was narrowing.
In addition to ending the fighting, Iran is placing importance on lifting the US maritime blockade and unfreezing frozen assets. According to Baghaei, the two sides would spend 30 to 60 days after signing the memorandum discussing the details of these issues.
On the nuclear issue, he said the United States had sought concessions but insisted that 'the details will not be discussed'. He also said of the agreement that it could be described as 'getting closer or getting farther away', underscoring Iran's caution toward the United States.
Pakistani army chief visits as mediator
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, whose country is seen as a mediator with close ties to Trump, visited Iran and met with President Masoud Pezeshkian and others.
It remains unclear how far the United States and Iran have moved closer on issues surrounding nuclear development and the Strait of Hormuz. So far, the gap between the two countries has been wide and negotiations have been difficult. The deal they are now seeking is also likely to be a framework agreement that sets deadlines and puts off difficult issues.
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