US President Trump Demands Further Amendments to Iran Deal Draft

Washington. US President Donald Trump has demanded further amendments to the draft US-Iran agreement prepared with the objective of ending the war that began earlier this year. The latest amendments are particularly related to the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of highly enriched uranium, according to US media. The White House, however, has not officially commented on this matter. Meanwhile, Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf clarified on Sunday that Tehran would not accept any agreement until Iranian rights are fully secured. A meeting was held last Friday between President Trump and his senior aides to make a final decision on the framework for extending the ceasefire with Iran, but the meeting concluded without any clear decision on the next steps. The latest draft of the proposed agreement includes a framework for ending violence for 60 days, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and resuming talks on Iran's nuclear program. If diplomatic efforts are successful, some sanctions on Iran could be lifted under this agreement, allowing it access to billions of dollars in frozen assets. The amendment demanded on Sunday is the third phase of changes in the series of intensive daily talks between the White House and Tehran aimed at ending the months-long war. Earlier on Thursday, US officials had stated that both countries had agreed on the preliminary draft of the agreement, i.e., the memorandum of understanding, and that it required the approval of Trump and the Iranian leadership. President Trump mentioned in an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump on Fox News that he wanted a guarantee that Iran would not build nuclear weapons and that they had agreed on this. However, he also stated that he was in no hurry for an agreement. Before the important meeting on Friday, Trump had indicated his inclination to accept the agreement, but after the meeting, a White House official clarified that President Trump would only accept an agreement that is in the interest of the United States and meets his conditions, reiterating his stance that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons. In that meeting, Trump put forward several amendment points, and he has continued to demand further changes since then. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during his visit to Singapore, warned that military action could resume if the agreement with Iran does not meet the President's expectations. He claimed that the US has a sufficient stockpile of advanced war materials and weapons ready in that region and around the world. However, Iranian officials have expressed doubts about this message from the White House. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi commented that everything currently being said is merely speculation until a clear conclusion is reached. It is said that discussions are still ongoing as both sides are regularly proposing amendments to the text of the agreement. Iran has demanded the release of its frozen assets before proceeding with concrete talks on its nuclear program. Pakistan is mediating between US and Iranian officials in this negotiation. Although Trump has been saying since the ceasefire came into effect on April 8 that the US and Iran are close to an agreement and that talks are progressing positively, no formal agreement has been reached so far.