MoU being ‘fine-tuned’ to end US-Iran war, Pakistan says - Reuters

US President Donald Trump told CBS News he had read a draft agreement with Iran but declined to say whether he had approved it.

“There’s a draft,” Trump said, adding, “I can’t tell you (whether I signed off on it) before I tell them, right?”

He said the two sides were “getting a lot closer” as diplomatic efforts continued to prevent a renewed conflict.

Talks with Iran will fail unless the US shows flexibility, the IRGC-linked Fars news agency reported citing a source close to the Iranian negotiating team.

The source said Tehran would not discuss its nuclear program at this stage and would make any such talks conditional on US confidence-building measures.

Fars reported that the release of Iran’s blocked funds was among Tehran’s main conditions for starting negotiations, while the rules for ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz remained another point of dispute.

Despite Washington accepting some of Tehran’s positions, the three issues remain unresolved and Iran is preparing other options, Fars reported citing the source.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would decide by Sunday whether to resume the war with Iran after reviewing Tehran’s latest proposal with his negotiators, Axios reported citing an interview with the president.

Trump said it was a “solid 50/50” whether the sides could reach an agreement or “blow them to kingdom come.”

“I think one of two things will happen: either I hit them harder than they have ever been hit, or we are going to sign a deal that is good,” he told Axios.

He also dismissed suggestions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was concerned he might accept an unfavorable deal, saying Netanyahu was not “worried.”

Pakistan’s army said in a statement on Saturday that Field Marshal Asim Munir concluded a “highly productive” visit to Iran, where talks with senior Iranian officials made “encouraging progress” toward a final understanding.

“Negotiations over the last twenty-four hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding," according to the statement, issued after Pakistani army chief and interior minister left Tehran earlier in the day.

“Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir concluded a short but highly productive official visit to Iran," it said. "Discussions remained focused upon expediting the consultative process underway to support peace and stability in the region."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday “some progress” had been made in talks on Iran and suggested there could be news later in the day, while cautioning that no breakthrough was certain.

"There may be news later today. I don't have news at this very moment, but there might be some news a little later today," Rubio told reporters in New Delhi. "There may not be. I hope there will be, but I'm not sure yet."

"There's been some progress done, some progress made, even as I speak to you now, there's some work being done," he said. "There is a chance that, whether it's later today, tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to say, but this issue needs to be solved, as the president said, one way or another."