Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said late Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding has not yet been approved, the issue of 'ending the war' remains open, and the chance of reaching a final nuclear deal is very low. The agency also stated Iran will not agree to a gradual agreement and will maintain its strategic influence in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official outlet closely linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued a series of conditions and warnings late Wednesday that directly contradict President Trump's earlier claims of a nearing nuclear deal. In a statement framed as a post-celebration response to Trump's evening remarks, the agency said the memorandum of understanding 'has not yet been approved' and that the question of 'ending the war' — a likely reference to the cessation of hostilities with Israel and its allies — remains open. Tasnim flatly rejected the possibility of a gradual agreement, calling the enemy 'deceitful' and capable of halting the process midway. It also stated that Iran will not allow foreign forces into the Strait of Hormuz and will preserve its strategic influence there. On the nuclear portfolio, the agency assessed the likelihood of reaching a final agreement as 'very low' and demanded no delay in sanctions removal. This hardening stance follows a day of conflicting signals already tracked by The Zioneer. Earlier Wednesday (20:05 Jerusalem), the IRGC's Fars news agency directly disputed Trump's claim that a signing would occur on Friday, stating the memorandum of understanding was incomplete. That denial was the fifth dispatch in a thread that began earlier Wednesday with Fars analyzing Trump's insistence on a Sunday signing as a 'test' for Iranian negotiators. By 13:22 Jerusalem, Fars had reported that the US had 'retreated from some positions' in the talks. The thread's evolution shows a steady escalation of IRGC-linked media pushback: from questioning timelines, to rejecting a Sunday signing outright, to now rejecting the entire framework's substance. As The Zioneer reported at 21:33 Jerusalem, Trump had retweeted Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi's post calling the Islamabad memorandum 'never closer,' and the same Iranian foreign ministry earlier signaled a high likelihood of a deal. The Tasnim statement suggests deepening domestic friction within Iran's leadership over the terms and pace of any accord. What remains open: whether Tasnim's rejection represents a genuine IRGC veto of the emerging framework or a negotiating posture ahead of a final push. The Strait of Hormuz language in particular may be a red line — the IRGC has previously downplayed agreements that would limit its influence there, as The Zioneer reported in its analysis on June 12.
6 developments
- DevelopingTasnim editor-in-chief: chance of final deal with US is very, very low
- StrongIran's state news agency IRNA: no final deal text until Tehran approves
- StrongIran says it has not reached final conclusion on deal, warns of 'red line'
- StrongIran's Fars News: Tehran leaning toward approving US deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake