The formal completion of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and the Islamic Republic of Iran could be delayed by several days, CNN reported on Sunday.
According to a senior United States official quoted in the report, the delay stems from a protracted and bureaucratic approval process required to obtain Tehran’s official endorsement on the specific phrasing of the pact.
The caution from administration insiders represents a tactical shift from the optimistic timeline presented over the weekend. While President Donald Trump confidently proclaimed on Saturday that an agreement was imminent, diplomatic officials moved on Sunday to lower expectations regarding a breakthrough announcement before the end of the weekend.
The remaining timeline hinges entirely on the speed with which Iranian representatives react to specific wording adjustments submitted by American negotiators, the official explained, according to CNN.
While Washington maintains that Tehran has consented in principle to the overarching core provisions of the framework, active diplomatic friction persists over the precise legal terminology.
The US official characterized this linguistic fine-tuning as an arduous approval operation on the Iranian side. Furthermore, the source indicated that American negotiators are still actively working to solidify the exact phrasing regarding “a couple of points.”
Once a comprehensive consensus is reached by all negotiating teams, a formal, face-to-face signing ceremony is scheduled to be convened between American and Iranian dignitaries. That diplomatic event is expected to serve as an immediate springboard into an ensuing round of comprehensive negotiations targeting the subsequent phase of the international treaty.
Trump announced on Saturday that the final details of an impending agreement with Iran would be announced “shortly.”
Reuters reported that the plan would include three stages: the official end of the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and opening a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, with the option to extend the window.
Later, the New York Times reported that the core framework of a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran hinges on a major concession regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities.
According to two US officials quoted in the report, the emerging deal requires Iran to completely forfeit its dangerous stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which Iran has committed to.
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