Star Metro - Trump says making final decision on Iran deal

A report from Iran's Fars news agency also rebutted several key elements of Trump's characterization of the deal, citing informed sources as calling his remarks a "mixture of truth and lies".

US sources had told AFP the deal was just waiting on Trump's sign-off following weeks of halting negotiations to end a conflict that had engulfed the Middle East and shaken the global economy.

"I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination," Trump said in a lengthy social media post, reiterating long-held demands that Iran agree never to have nuclear weapons and must open the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, however, told state media that the Islamic republic "said goodbye to the language of 'must' 47 years ago".

"Regarding the understanding... exchanges of messages are continuing, but no final agreement has been reached yet," he added.

In his post, Trump said Tehran would remove mines in the Strait of Hormuz and end its blockade of the waterway with "no tolls", while the US would lift its parallel blockade of Iranian ports, and the two countries would coordinate on removing and destroying Iran's enriched uranium.

He also said "no money will be exchanged, until further notice".

Fars, however, cited Iranian sources as saying that Tehran was demanding "the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets", and that "until this payment is made, Iran will not move to the next phase of negotiations".

As for the toll-free reopening of Hormuz, they said, "no such clause appears in the text of the agreement", while the comment on destroying Iran's nuclear material "is fundamentally baseless".

Baqaei also told state TV that there were currently "no negotiations" taking place on Iran's nuclear programme.

Trump's post came as Iran's top diplomat suggested the US was holding up a deal with its approach to the negotiations.

In a call with his Omani counterpart, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi "indicated that arriving at a final agreement depended on ending the American party's attitude based on excessive demands and shifting and contradictory positions", his ministry said.

Earlier Iran's parliament speaker, who led its delegation at peace talks with the US in Pakistan last month, said Tehran had gained leverage not "through talks, but through missiles", and was sceptical of US promises.

"We place no trust in guarantees or words; only actions matter," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Sources have previously told Iranian media that any agreement unilaterally announced by Trump would not be recognised.

- 'A lot of progress' -

Ali, a resident of the city of Tonekabon north of Tehran, said that whatever the deal was, there would likely be more strife to come.

"Both sides are speaking in a way that keeps their supporters satisfied. It's not clear who is telling the truth," the 49-year-old said.

"If a deal is reached, the internal power networks will likely start a fight against each other and against opponents more than before."

Hopes of an agreement had risen on Thursday after US officials were positive about the direction of diplomacy, with Vance telling reporters "a lot of progress" had been made.

The optimism boosted US and Asian stock markets on Friday, while oil prices receded slightly.

Energy markets have whipsawed this week as investors parse the chances of an agreement that could potentially resume normal shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the truce in and around the strait as recently as this week, with US strikes on the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas countered by retaliatory Iranian fire.

Iranian state TV said on Friday that 24 ships had transited the strait in the past 24 hours, in coordination with the Revolutionary Guards and the foreign ministry.

But it warned that "ships from hostile countries face a severe response" from Iran's military.

- Lebanon fighting -

On the war's Lebanon front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his country's forces had pushed deeper inside Lebanon, even as Israeli and Lebanese military delegations were holding landmark security talks in Washington.

The premier said troops had crossed the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Lebanon-Israel frontier, and were "hitting Hezbollah head on".

Israel also kept up its heavy bombardment of south Lebanon, whose President Joseph Aoun emphasised in a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire" as an essential first step.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah was supposed to have taken effect on April 17, but has never been observed.

Both sides accuse each other of violating it and justify their attacks by the other camp's alleged breaches.

Lebanon was drawn into the war in early March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel over the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli attacks, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

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W.Fortin--SMC