WH says Iran deal could take days, some clauses remain unsettled

The White House thinks it could take several days for the deal's approval by Iran's leadership, according to a report from U.S. media Axios on Sunday, said Xinhua.

While U.S. officials are optimistic that a deal will be signed within days, they also acknowledge it has not been finalized and could still fall apart, said the report, citing a senior U.S. official.

It is unclear whether the potential deal will lead to a lasting peace agreement that also addresses U.S. nuclear demands.

Earlier on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he has told his "representatives not to rush into a deal" with Iran because "time is on our side."

"Both sides must take their time and get it right," Trump wrote on his Truth Social, noting that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports "will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed."

Meanwhile, the United States is still refusing to accept certain clauses of a potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran on ending the war, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, said Xinhua.

Citing information obtained by its reporter, Tasnim said that despite some talks held between the two sides on Sunday, the United States is still obstructing certain clauses of the potential peace MoU, including the release of Iran's frozen assets.

It added that there is still a possibility that the MoU would be canceled, and Iran has stressed that it will not back down from its red lines in safeguarding the rights of its people.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state-run IRIB TV that Iran and the United States are working to finalize an MoU on ending the war.

"At this stage, our focus is on ending the imposed war," Baghaei stressed, adding, "Our intention has been to firstly agree on an MoU consisting of 14 clauses."

He noted that "within a period of 30 to 60 days," Tehran and Washington would reach a final agreement, saying, "Among the major topics to be addressed in the MoU are the cessation of U.S. maritime attacks, or naval blockade as they themselves call it, and other issues pertaining to the release of Iranian frozen assets."

Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

Following the truce, Iranian and U.S. delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.

Meanwhile, An Israeli drone, which had a reconnaissance function, was shot down by the Iranian army in southern Iran's Hormozgan Province, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Sunday, said Xinhua.

Iran says 33 more ships cross Hormuz Strait in past 24 hrs

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday said 33 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours in coordination with and after obtaining permission from its forces.

It made the announcement in a statement published by the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, saying the vessels included oil tankers and commercial and container ships, and that they crossed the strait while their security was ensured by its forces.

The IRGC's Navy added that it is exercising smart control over the Strait of Hormuz with strength in the aftermath of the insecurity caused in the waterway following U.S. "aggression" against Iran.

According to the IRGC's Navy, a total of 117 vessels had crossed the strait between Tuesday and Saturday. It has stressed that vessels' passage through the strait must be coordinated with and approved by its forces.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning Feb. 28, when it barred safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.