US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House on May 1, 2026, in Washington, DC, USA.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Iran is “currently reviewing” the message it received from the United States through Pakistani intermediaries, but has not yet reached a conclusion or responded, Iranian officials said on Thursday, state media reported.
The comments, attributed to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Bacaei, came a day after Axios and other media reported that the United States and Iran were close to signing a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war and begin further nuclear negotiations.
President Donald Trump later said at the White House that Iran was “very keen to get a deal, and we’ll see if they can come up with a deal that we’re happy with.”
According to CBS News, President Trump predicted the war would be “over quickly” at an event Wednesday night to support Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bert Jones.
Stocks rose on Wednesday and oil prices fell on the latest signals that the war, which has lasted more than two months, may be coming to an end. However, the stock fell into the red on Thursday afternoon. oil Although future developments remain uncertain, the stock has resumed its rise.
Particularly unclear is the Strait of Hormuz, which was an important route for oil transportation but was cut off during the war, causing a global energy supply shock.
The United States on Monday launched Project Freedom, an effort to guide stranded commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf despite threats from Iran in the Persian Strait. However, President Trump abruptly canceled the plan the next day, citing progress in negotiations with Iran.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that the reversal came after Saudi Arabia, a key regional ally, was outraged by the operation and moved to halt the use of U.S. military bases and airspace.
On Thursday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted those restrictions and that the Trump administration is considering restarting Project Freedom within the next few days.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaee, a senior Iranian official, was quoted by Iranian state broadcaster Press TV as saying that Tehran would not allow the US to reopen the strait with an “unrealistic plan”, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Referring to the reported 14-point US proposal, Rezaei said the outcome of any negotiations must include “concrete benefits” for Iran, rather than “showy gestures.”
