White House rejects Iranian state TV draft as ‘complete fabrication’

The White House told Al Jazeera that President Donald Trump would only agree to a deal that serves the interests of the American people and ensures Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

The White House said Trump had made his red lines clear and had said negotiations were going well.

The comments came as Iranian officials and lawmakers have circulated claimed details of a possible memorandum of understanding with Washington, including provisions on the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, reconstruction funding and Iran’s nuclear program.

Iranian lawmaker Meysam Zohourian said a current outline of a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington includes lifting the US naval blockade within 30 days, the withdrawal of American forces from areas around Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran within the same period.

Zohourian, secretary of parliament’s Economic Committee, wrote on X that the outline also includes declaring an end to the war, including in Lebanon, a commitment by both sides not to use force against each other, and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said a final agreement would be subject to a 60-day period that could be extended by mutual consent.

According to Zohourian, the draft includes a promised $300 billion reconstruction program for Iran if a final agreement is signed, as well as ending US primary and secondary sanctions under a timetable.

He said the nuclear section covers Iran not building nuclear weapons and the creation of a mutually acceptable framework for the fate of uranium stockpiles, enrichment and all issues related to Tehran’s nuclear program in a final agreement.

Zohourian added that the outline includes freezing Iran’s nuclear program in return for Washington not increasing sanctions during the negotiation period.

He said other provisions include exemptions for Iranian oil and petrochemical sales and related services, as well as the gradual release of Iran’s blocked funds by the United States if negotiations progress.

At least one person was killed and two others were injured in an accident at Iran’s Asaluyeh petrochemical complex on the Persian Gulf coast, state media reported.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency said the incident occurred around midday Wednesday in the air unit of Damavand Energy Company in Asaluyeh.

The cause of the incident was not immediately reported.

If the framework reported by Iranian state TV is accurate, a US-Iran understanding would confirm the war as a strategic failure for President Donald Trump, Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz wrote in an opinion piece.

Horovitz argued that the reported terms appear focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing pressure on Iran, while leaving the main declared goals of the war unresolved: Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities, support for armed groups and the future of the Islamic Republic itself.

He wrote that Trump’s public emphasis on reopening Hormuz showed how much leverage Tehran had gained by disrupting the waterway, which was not blocked before the war.

The op-ed said reported terms that would remove military pressure and release major funds to Tehran before any clear nuclear settlement would be “catastrophic” for Israel and the wider free world.

Horovitz also argued that US and Israeli priorities had diverged as the war dragged on, with Israel seeing the Islamic Republic as an immediate existential threat while Trump seeks an exit he can present as a victory.

He said any agreement that fails to first deprive Tehran of its highly enriched uranium and block its path to a nuclear weapon would give the Islamic Republic time and space to recover.

Referring to Trump’s claim that he does not make bad deals, Horovitz wrote that “right now would be a very good time to prove that.”

US Central Command said 109 commercial vessels had been redirected as of May 27 to ensure compliance with the US blockade against Iran.

CENTCOM said in a post on X that an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter patrolled the Arabian Sea in support of the blockade before approaching the USS Delbert D. Black.