President Donald Trump said at a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday that Iran is now negotiating with an "empty tank."
"But we'll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe not," he said, referring to the possibility of resuming attacks on Iran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at the same meeting that there had been “some progress” in talks with Iran recently. The situation would become clearer in the coming “hours and days.”
We prefer the negotiated, diplomatic path, and we will give it every chance to succeed, he said.
Framework for agreements
The draft on the table concerns an unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, Iranian state-controlled media reports.
According to the report, the draft dictates that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran, should return to pre-war levels within a month. In return, the US should withdraw its forces from Iran's vicinity and lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Ship traffic through the strait will be managed by Iran in cooperation with Oman, according to the report. Iran will also be able to charge fees for passage through the strait, which was not the case before the war.
If a final agreement is reached within 60 days, it should reportedly be approved as a binding resolution in the UN Security Council, according to the draft.
But the White House dismisses Iranian media reports about the content of the draft.
"No one should believe what Iranian state media is broadcasting," wrote the White House account Rapid Response on the X platform.
Uranium not included
Over the weekend, Trump said negotiations were underway on the final details of a proposed peace deal. An Iranian spokesman said at the same time that the parties had agreed on a framework.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani reiterated on Wednesday the message that the issue of highly enriched uranium is not part of the ongoing talks with the United States, the Fars news agency reports.
The war broke out on February 28th when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. A ceasefire has been in place since April 8th.
