NYT: Trump tightened conditions instead of approving tentative deal; president has raised concerns over unfreezing Iranian assets; move may be aimed at pressuring Tehran to accept original terms quickly

U.S. President Donald Trump [AP]
U.S. President Donald Trump [AP]

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By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

President Donald Trump declined to approve a draft memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran, instead sending Tehran a revised version with tougher terms, The New York Times reported Saturday.

U.S. and Iranian officials had previously reached a tentative agreement on the end-of-war MOU, with both sides understood to be awaiting only final approval. However, Trump's effective rejection of the draft has thrown the negotiations back into uncertainty. Citing three officials, The New York Times said Trump had tightened the terms of the tentative agreement and sent a document reflecting those changes back to Iran.

The specific nature of the revisions was not disclosed.

According to the officials, Trump had expressed concern over a provision in the tentative agreement that would unfreeze assets held by Iran.

Trump has long been a fierce critic of the Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — negotiated under the Barack Obama administration, arguing that the United States gave up too much when it lifted sanctions on Iran. He withdrew from the agreement in 2018.

Trump has also expressed frustration that Iran takes too long to respond to U.S. proposals, officials said.

The officials said Trump's decision to put forward a harder-line revision may be intended to pressure Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei into quickly accepting the original terms.

Trump had convened a meeting in the White House Situation Room on May 29 to discuss whether to approve the end-of-war MOU, but the session ended without any announcement.

The draft MOU was reported to include a 60-day extension of the truce between the United States and Iran and a full opening of the Strait of Hormuz. It also reportedly contained a provision to reach a comprehensive agreement on Iran's denuclearization during the extended truce period.

U.S. media had also reported that the draft called for Washington to consider easing sanctions on Iran in step with progress in nuclear negotiations and to discuss the release of frozen Iranian assets.


sjy@heraldcorp.com