US President Donald Trump said he could receive Iran's response to US proposals within the next few hours.
“I will probably get a letter tonight. We will see how things develop,“ he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told the Tasnim news agency on Friday that Iranian authorities have not yet responded to the US proposal for a settlement agreement.
Trump said the US could restart Project “Freedom” - the operation to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz if there is no progress in the negotiations with Iran.
“We could go back to Project “Freedom“ if nothing happens, but it would be Project “Freedom Plus“, he said.
A new round of talks between Washington and Tehran could be held in Islamabad next week, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The United States and Iran are reportedly working with mediators to draft a memorandum of understanding that would outline the terms of the month-long talks to end the war. The talks could resume in Islamabad as early as next week, the newspaper noted. If the parties make progress, the initial one-month period could be extended by mutual agreement, the publication said.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya television channel, citing a diplomatic source, reported that participants in the consultations, which are being held with the mediation of Pakistan, are "focused on a memorandum of understanding to end the war, open the Strait of Hormuz and ease the US blockade" of the Islamic Republic.
However, the Al Arabiya source stressed that "the negotiation process is proving difficult and obstacles remain."