Iran's Foreign Ministry said Friday that negotiations on a final agreement with the US will open in the coming days, and denied reports of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The ministry added that the meeting originally scheduled for Friday in Switzerland has been postponed to another date, and that contacts are ongoing through mediators. Progress towards a final deal is conditional on implementing certain clauses of the previously signed memorandum of understanding, according to the ministry as reported by Abu Ali Express.
Iran's Foreign Ministry denied reports of a Strait of Hormuz closure on Friday evening, a position shift from earlier threats in the thread. This denial comes hours after the ministry signaled a resumption of negotiations on a final agreement, with a statement reported by Abu Ali Express at 17:29 Jerusalem saying talks would open "in the coming days." The latest statement, published after 18:00 Jerusalem, refines the timeline and explicitly rejects Hormuz closure claims, which had been a key threat in prior iterations of the story.
This development follows a rapid sequence of reported positions Friday. At 09:22 Jerusalem, The Zioneer's first versions reported cancellation of planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland and mutual blame on Israel by Iran and President Trump. By 12:15 Jerusalem, reports had shifted: Iran was said to have frozen talks, linked resumption to a Lebanon ceasefire, and threatened a Hormuz closure. By 17:29 Jerusalem, the ministry described the Switzerland meeting as no longer urgent, stating the memorandum of understanding had been signed digitally and that contacts were underway for a meeting "in the coming days." The earlier closure threat, attributed to the Iranian navy at 09:22, has now been explicitly denied.
As The Zioneer reported Thursday morning (Jun 18, 08:48 Jerusalem), senior Iranian officials had declared the MOU final and stated Iran would demand payment for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. A Monday report (Jun 15, 14:15 Jerusalem) noted that US President Trump had insisted on immediate Hormuz opening upon a deal announcement, but Iran did not accept, agreeing instead to begin the process after the MOU signing. The current denial appears to walk back the earlier closure threat while leaving the payment-demand position intact.
What remains open: the ministry did not specify which mediators are involved, nor did it provide a precise date for the next meeting. The implementation status of the six MOU clauses cited as conditions for further talks remains unclear, as does the status of the Hormuz demands reported Thursday.
7 developments
- DevelopingIran: Talks underway for meeting 'in coming days' as MOU signed digitally
- StrongIranian source: Strait of Hormuz reopening to begin Friday after MoU signing
- ConfirmedIran's Tasnim adds details on US-Iran MOU: last-minute changes, Hormuz opening delayed
- StrongTrump: US and Iran close to 60-day ceasefire deal, Strait of Hormuz to reopen
Source and signal
- Internal intake