Amid the ongoing Middle East crisis, now stretching beyond three months, US President Donald Trump concluded a two-hour Situation Room meeting on a proposed Iran peace agreement without announcing a decision that could have paved the way for formal peace negotiations.
Earlier, Trump had said he would make a "final determination" on a proposal aimed at extending a ceasefire with Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launching negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme.
However, after the meeting ended, the White House gave no indication that a final decision had been reached. CNN reported that a White House official said only that the meeting lasted about two hours and reiterated the administration's position that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon.
According to The Washington Post, the proposed memorandum of understanding would extend the current ceasefire by 60 days while Washington and Tehran negotiate the details of a broader agreement, including the future of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump outlined several conditions he said Iran would need to meet. These included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, removing mines from the strategic waterway, committing never to develop a nuclear weapon and allowing the United States to remove or destroy highly enriched uranium. Iran, however, signalled that negotiations remain incomplete.
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CNN reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said contacts between Tehran and Washington were continuing, but that a memorandum of understanding had not yet been finalised.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that administration officials believe the two sides are close to an agreement, although several key issues remain unresolved, including the possible unfreezing of Iranian funds. The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the negotiations.
Iran rejects Trump's pressure for a ceasefire
Iran said no final understanding had been reached and rejected suggestions that Tehran would act under external pressure, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state television, "Tehran said goodbye to the language of 'must' 47 years ago. None of the Western parties can use the language of 'must' when they talk about the Islamic Republic of Iran. We make our own decisions based on the interests and rights of the Iranian nation."