U.S.-Iran war reaches 12-week turning point... Trump says ceasefire talks are in the final stretch

[Financial News, New York = Lee Byung-chul]U.S. President Donald Trump said that an agreement to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz has entered its final stage. The United States–Israel–Iran war, which began in February, is now seen as reaching a major turning point after 12 weeks. However, the nuclear program and highly enriched uranium remain unresolved issues for follow-up talks, leaving uncertainty over whether the ceasefire will lead to a lasting peace framework.
In a post on Truth Social on the 23rd local time, Trump said, "The final elements and details of the memorandum of understanding on ending the war and achieving peace are being discussed and will be announced soon," adding, "The agreement has largely been negotiated." He said he had spoken with Middle Eastern leaders, including those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain.
Trump described the deal as a "memorandum of understanding on peace" that the United States, Iran, and the countries involved in mediation must finalize. As concerns grew recently that the ceasefire could collapse after the U.S. considered additional strikes on Iran, the talks now appear to be shifting back into a negotiation phase.
Signals of progress also emerged from the Iranian side. The New York Times (NYT), citing three senior Iranian officials, reported that Iran had agreed to a memorandum of understanding that would halt fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, and end the U.S. maritime blockade on Iran.
The biggest issue, however, was left out of the agreement. Iranian officials said the future of highly enriched uranium and the nuclear program would be discussed in separate talks over the next 30 to 60 days. It remains unclear whether the agreement Trump mentioned is the same as the draft described by the Iranian side.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, also said on the day that "the United States and Iran are in the final stage of drafting the memorandum of understanding and can reach a mutually acceptable solution." He added, however, that the nuclear issue is not currently on the negotiating agenda.
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pride@fnnews.com Lee Byung-chul Reporter