Mohammad Marandi’s assessment comes after the Iranian foreign minister said an agreement “has never been closer”
For the first time, the chances of the US and Iran reaching an agreement are greater than 50%, despite Iran’s lingering distrust of Washington, Tehran-based Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi told RT.
The comments come after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday: “the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer.” In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that the framework awaits finalization, while urging the media not to speculate about the contents.
The memorandum is the working name for a proposed US-Iran framework agreement that emerged from negotiations mediated by Pakistan following talks in Islamabad in April. It reportedly includes provisions to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and eventually start detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that Tehran approved a framework agreement, saying it could be signed as early as this weekend, likely in Europe, and that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei endorsed the terms.
Trump also said he called off planned strikes on Iran after two consecutive days of bombardment, which marked the most serious escalation since a truce was announced in April.
Marandi said the prospects for an agreement are now better than ever, but added that he “wouldn’t bet on it” because the US has repeatedly proven itself untrustworthy.
