CNN: Finalizing US-Iran Agreement May Take Several More Days
American network CNN, citing an unnamed US official, has reported that finalizing the memorandum of understanding between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will likely take several more days. According to this official, the approval process of the agreement’s text on the Iranian side is lengthy, which has caused delays in its official announcement.
This report comes while US President Donald Trump had previously spoken of an imminent deal; however, US officials a day later sought to temper expectations of an announcement by the end of the week. The CNN source stated that the remaining time largely depends on how quickly Iran responds to some of Washington’s requests regarding specific phrases and wording in the agreement.
According to the report, although the United States believes Tehran has agreed to the main principles of the agreement, discussions over the precise wording of certain clauses are still ongoing. The US official added that Washington is also finalizing the wording on several outstanding issues in the document.
CNN also reported that after reaching a final agreement and receiving approvals from all parties, there is a possibility of an in-person signing ceremony between officials of the two countries, after which a new round of talks may begin concerning the next phase of the agreement.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed a dual stance in his latest remarks. He emphasized that Washington will exhaust all opportunities to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran before moving to other options.
Nonetheless, Rubio stated that if no agreement is reached, the US will “handle the situation differently.” He spoke of a strong possibility that the two countries might enter negotiations within a limited timeframe concerning Iran’s nuclear file and added that reaching a temporary agreement even by Monday is possible.
The Secretary of State’s comments come as reports indicate that the finalization of the agreement text and its official approval by the parties are still underway, and the exact timing of the announcement will depend on progress in this process.
