US, Iran signal progress toward war deal, but no breakthrough imminent
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the document under discussion as a 14-point framework agreement rather than a final deal.
ANKARA — Iran and the United States have both acknowledged progress toward a possible agreement to end the war, but officials in Tehran and Washington are downplaying expectations of an imminent breakthrough amid mixed messages.
What happened: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Washington and Tehran had made progress on several issues under discussion as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, but he pushed back against suggestions that a final deal was close.
“It is true that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues under discussion,” Baghaei was quoted by Iranian media as telling journalists. “But to say that the signing of the agreement is imminent — no one can make such a claim, because politics positions and decision-making in America continue to shift, and we repeatedly witness changing positions by American officials.”
The remarks followed a shift in tone from President Donald Trump, who on Saturday suggested that a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE” was nearing completion before walking that statement back on Sunday.
