As Speculation Swirls About the Emerging Iran Deal, Here’s What We Know

With a draft deal between the United States and Iran now on the table, speculation has been swirling about exactly what is in the agreement.

President Trump insisted on Friday that reports circulating about details of the proposed deal were incorrect. In a post on social media, he said the terms “Iran leaked” to the media “have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”

There were conflicting accounts of the deal in Iranian media, with one hard-line news outlet reporting terms more favorable to Iran and the state news agency providing a more measured description. On Friday, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that a deal “has never been closer,” but added that “the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content.”

Much about the emerging deal remains murky, with both sides keen to frame it as a victory. What is known is that a “memorandum of understanding” between the two sides is under discussion.

Two Iranian officials and one regional official briefed on the terms of the agreement said that the United States and Iran had agreed to a preliminary deal that would end the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the U.S. naval blockade on Iran. They said the deal would pave the way for further talks on the country’s nuclear program.

The agreement is similar to previous iterations of a deal that have emerged in recent weeks of stop-start negotiations, the three officials said, but added there have been some changes to the wording.