Trump expects to complete memorandum of understanding on Hormuz next week
US President Donald Trump expected to complete a memorandum of understanding with Iran on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz within the next week, without addressing the rest of the outstanding files, especially the nuclear file and the frozen Iranian assets that Tehran is demanding to be released.
In his latest remarks, Trump told ABC News on Monday evening that "the talks with Iran have faced a slight stumble," but he has succeeded in addressing the situation.
He explained that this stumble was caused by "Iran's displeasure with the Israeli attacks on Lebanon", adding that he had made contacts that resulted in Israel and Hizbullah agreeing to refrain from attacking each other, considering that reaching a possible peace agreement with Iran would be "better than achieving a military victory".
There was no immediate comment from the Iranian side on the US president's remarks.
Mediation to de-escalate Lebanon
Earlier, Trump said in a post on the "Truth Social" platform that he called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a phone call, not to launch a "large-scale attack" on the Lebanese capital Beirut, claiming that Netanyahu responded and ordered Israeli forces to retreat.
He also noted that he had held indirect contacts with Hezbollah, stressing that the two sides had agreed to a ceasefire and not to target each other.
These contacts came in light of an Israeli military escalation in Lebanon and the threat of targeting the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, on the eve of an expected round of negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv in the US capital, Washington.
Iranian news agency: Tehran has not yet sent any response to the Pakistani mediator
Iran's Mehr news agency reported that Tehran is continuing to study a draft of a possible agreement with the United States to end the war between the two sides.
Citing a source it described as "privy" to the course of negotiations with the United States, the agency said on Tuesday that Iran had not yet sent any response to Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator in the negotiations.
The source pointed out that the United States' failure to abide by its promises during previous rounds of negotiations has prompted Iran to act more cautiously at the current stage.
He added that based on its past experiences, Iran is focusing on achieving "tangible gains and benefits" in the potential deal.
Iran: Permits for 300 ships to cross Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz Waterway Management Authority (PGSA), the Iranian body responsible for regulating transit traffic in the strait, announced that more than 300 ships have applied for transit permits since last April, in an indication of the breadth of the application of the new mechanism imposed by Tehran on international navigation in one of the world's most important sea lanes.
In a statement published on the "X" platform, the authority said that the majority of the ships applying for transit are not linked to Iran, and primarily include oil tankers, in addition to cargo ships for dry bulk cargo, liquefied natural gas carriers, service ships and containers.
The authority explained that the final destinations of the ships that applied to leave the Gulf were concentrated in Asian countries, led by China and India, while the United Arab Emirates was the largest destination for ships wishing to enter the Gulf.
According to the data, 77% of the ships that requested permits were seeking to leave the Arabian Gulf, compared to only 23% applying to enter it, reflecting the continuation of commercial activity related to oil and gas exports despite the new restrictions.
The figures come as Iran tightens its measures on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, following its announcement in April that foreign ships will be required to obtain prior transit permits, which sparked a wide international debate about the legality of the move and its impact on global energy security.