Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that the memorandum of understanding with the US is near-final and that it is working to bridge the remaining gaps, according to an Iranian state-affiliated source. The statement comes amid a flurry of conflicting reports: CBS News reported earlier that a signing is likely next week, while Iranian state media alternately claimed Washington backed down and that new US demands had been added.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said at 23:28 Jerusalem time that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States is 'almost final' and that Iranian diplomats are working to bridge remaining gaps — the latest in a rapid sequence of conflicting statements in recent hours.
This evening's thread shows how the Iranian position has shifted multiple times within a single hour. At 22:31 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a CBS News item saying a signing is likely next week and an Iranian Fars News claim that Washington had backed down. Minutes later, at 22:43, a longer article repeated those assessments. Then, at 23:28 Jerusalem, version 1 of the thread reported Iran saying the MOU is 'nearly finalized' and mediators are bridging gaps. That version was immediately followed by version 2 in which the same spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, clarified that the deal is not yet final and that the US 'kept changing its positions.' Version 3, also at 23:28, had Baghaei calling speculation of a finalized deal premature and blaming US actions for insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz. Version 4 — again at 23:28 — had the ministry saying the US had added new demands and that the agreement was not final. Tonight's dispatch, also timed at 23:28 Jerusalem, returns to the 'almost final' framing, creating a contradiction with the earlier version 4 published at the same clock time.
The desk's background material — Pakistan's ongoing mediation role, reported on Wednesday; Axios' earlier report that Iran told regional states of an 'in-principle' deal requiring Mojtaba Khamenei's approval; and the earlier Fars assessment that Tehran is leaning toward approval — collectively frame a negotiation whose public narrative has oscillated sharply within a single evening.
It remains unclear which of the contradictory formulations published at 23:28 Jerusalem reflects the actual state of talks. No signing date or venue has been confirmed, and the Iranian position has shifted several times in recent days, leaving the status of the MOU genuinely unresolved.
6 developments
- DevelopingIran warns Pakistan of 'red lines' from start of talks, spokesman says
- StrongIran says it will not fulfill commitments while US 'evades' its own obligations
- StrongIran: We entered talks in good faith, awaiting final decision
- StrongIranian state media casts doubt on nuclear deal, warns against gradual agreement
Source and signal
- Internal intake