The United States may resume military action against Iran if a diplomatic breakthrough is not achieved and Tehran does not respond to the memorandum of understanding within the next two days, Axios reported, citing sources among US officials.
“We are close, but the deal is not done yet“, a US official told the publication.
Washington expects a response from Tehran to the memorandum within the next 24-48 hours. According to sources, the White House wants to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough by the end of Trump's trip to China. The US president's visit is scheduled for May 14-15. If a deal is not reached by then, the US president may again consider using military force, Axios reports.
On Wednesday, May 6, Trump suggested further bombing if the talks fail: “If they don't reach an agreement, there will be bombing, and unfortunately it will be much bigger and more intense than before.“
The goal is to sign a memorandum of understanding designed to formalize the end of the conflict in the Middle East and set the framework for further negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. Axios previously reported that it envisions a 30-day negotiation phase to prepare a more detailed agreement.
The document consists of 14 points and includes a moratorium on Iran's uranium enrichment, the US's agreement to lift sanctions and release billions of frozen Iranian funds, as well as the lifting of restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz by both sides.
On May 4, Trump announced Operation "Project Freedom" to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The next day, the US leader announced a temporary suspension of the operation at the request of Pakistan and other countries.
Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization is ready to support commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated in an official message to the captains of vessels published by the IRNA news agency.
According to the message, the ports of the Islamic Republic are ready to provide their “services, technical support, as well as medical and sanitary assistance“.
On May 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that US forces had completed the active offensive phase of Operation “Epic Fury“, which began in late February. He stated that its objectives had been achieved and the military was moving on to a new phase - the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.