Overview
- The White House held a Situation Room meeting on Friday and President Trump sent back the draft memorandum asking for firmer language on Iran’s nuclear obligations and how the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened.
- Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad-Baqer Ghalibaf said Tehran will not approve any deal unless the rights of the Iranian people are secured, and Iranian state media say the draft would include access to about $12 billion in frozen funds while the White House calls that claim false.
- U.S. forces have continued limited military actions during talks, with U.S. Central Command saying a Gambia-flagged vessel bound for Iran was disabled and U.S. officials warning they stand ready to resume strikes if negotiations fail.
- Negotiators have focused on a short, phased memorandum for 30–60 or 60 days to pause fighting and create a window for technical talks, but they remain deadlocked over the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium and which authorities would control or charge for passage through Hormuz.
- If the memorandum stays unsigned, oil markets and regional stability could suffer, mediators from Pakistan, Oman and Qatar plus the IAEA will remain key to any breakthrough, and civilians in the Gulf and Lebanon face continued disruption and risk while the truce hangs by a thread.