The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said he would decide by this Sunday (the 24th) whether to resume military actions against Iran or to sign an agreement to end the conflict with the country.
In a statement to the American portal Axios on Saturday (the 23rd), the Republican indicated that the chances of a diplomatic outcome or of a military escalation are a “solid 50/50.”
“I think one of two things will happen: either I destroy them, or we will sign an agreement that is good,” Trump said, stressing that the alternative to a good deal would be a devastating offensive.
The decision will be taken after a series of meetings this weekend. The president’s schedule on Saturday includes a meeting with his top negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with the expected attendance of Vice President J.D. Vance.
Additionally, Trump scheduled a teleconference with Middle East leaders, including representatives from Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, to discuss the impasse.
What is being negotiated
The White House will review a draft agreement the result of mediation by the head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir. The military official left Tehran on Saturday after attempting to hammer out the final terms with local authorities.
Although he had not yet found a final version of the text, Munir said there had been “encouraging progress toward a final understanding.”
On Saturday, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that the countries are in the final stage of discussions on a memorandum of understanding. According to the Iranian government, the document envisions the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the suspension of the U.S. naval blockade, and the release of funds that Iran has frozen abroad. After this signing, the nations would have a period of 30 to 60 days to detail the treaty.
The main obstacle to sealing the deal this Sunday, however, is the nuclear issue. Trump has demanded that the initial agreement already cover uranium enrichment and define the fate of Tehran’s current arsenal.
On the other hand, Iran conditions an agreement with the United States on a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi.
