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Iran Leaks Draft U.S. Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz, White House Denies

Iran Leaks Draft U.S. Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz, White House Denies
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Iranian state television published what it said was a draft framework for a U.S.–Iran deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a U.S. naval blockade within 30 days, sending oil prices sharply lower on Wednesday. The White House immediately rejected the document as “a complete fabrication,” even as U.S. officials continued to speak of “significant progress” toward an interim accord to end the war and defuse the energy crisis jpost +2.

The reported draft, described as an “initial, unofficial” memorandum of understanding, came after weeks of Pakistan‑brokered shuttle diplomacy and a fragile ceasefire that has held since early April. Iran and the United States have been negotiating through mediators over a 60‑day framework that would halt major strikes, reopen the world’s most important oil chokepoint and open the door to wider talks on sanctions and Iran’s nuclear program timesofisrael +1.

What Iran’s Draft Claims — And What Washington Disputes

According to Iranian state media, the framework would see Tehran clear mines and restore commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to pre‑war levels within a month, while the United States withdraws forces from Iran’s immediate vicinity and lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports jpost +1. Traffic management in the strait would be run by Iran in cooperation with Oman, with warships excluded from the arrangements, the reports said timesofisrael.

Iranian outlets also linked the framework to staged sanctions relief and access to roughly $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar, as well as a commitment to broader nuclear talks during a 60‑day window al-monitor +1. Western and regional reporting over recent days has described a similar outline: limited, performance‑based sanctions waivers allowing Iran to sell oil, in return for verifiable steps on de‑escalation and nuclear constraints timesofisrael +1.

But the White House said the specific text aired on Iranian television was not an agreed draft at all. “This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ‘released’ is a complete fabrication,” a statement carried by U.S. outlets quoted officials as saying palestinechronicle. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking separately, acknowledged “significant progress, although not final progress,” suggesting the shape of an interim deal exists even if no text has been signed al-monitor +1.

Energy Markets, Regional Players and the Nuclear Question

Even without confirmation from Washington, the mere prospect of Hormuz reopening rattled commodity markets. Brent crude fell back below $100 a barrel and U.S. benchmark WTI dropped toward the low $90s, with some sessions seeing intraday moves of 5–6% as traders priced in reduced supply risk newsweek +1. European benchmark gas prices also slipped around 5% on Thursday afternoon on hopes that a deal would restore flows and ease broader geopolitical tensions zeteo.

Regional governments have been deeply involved in the diplomacy. Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Asim Munir, has shuttled between Tehran, Doha and other capitals in recent days, while Gulf leaders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been consulted on prospective Hormuz security arrangements and enforcement mechanisms al-monitor +1. Israel, by contrast, has voiced concern that an interim accord could leave Iran’s regional network and advanced uranium stockpile — estimated at about 440 kg enriched up to 60% — largely intact pending later negotiations al-monitor +1.

Those nuclear issues, along with sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds, remain core sticking points. Reporting from regional and U.S. outlets suggests negotiators are weighing options for diluting or exporting portions of Iran’s highly enriched uranium to a third country under a follow‑on agreement, but Tehran has so far framed its position in terms of its “legitimate and inalienable” right to peaceful nuclear technology al-monitor +2.

The Bigger Picture

Competing narratives around the leaked “draft” underscored how fragile the diplomatic moment remains: Iran appears eager to signal momentum to domestic and regional audiences, while Washington is determined not to be seen as accepting terms broadcast by Iranian state media. Still, the convergence of a detailed 60‑day framework, intensive third‑party mediation and visible shifts in oil and gas markets point to talks that are genuinely in their endgame. Whether they produce a signed text that both capitals can claim as a win — and that actually reopens Hormuz on the timeline traders are now betting on — will shape not only the trajectory of the current war but also global energy prices and nuclear diplomacy for months to come. jpost +3