Trump holds meeting to make 'final determination' on Iran deal

Donald Trump held a meeting on Friday in the White House's Situation Room to make a "final determination" about an agreement to extend a ceasefire with Iran. He said Iran must agree to never have a nuclear weapon or bomb, that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened for "unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions", and that any mines in the waterway are "destroyed".

US officials said on Thursday the two countries had agreed a framework of a deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - pending the approval of Trump and Iran's leadership. The deal would reportedly extend the ceasefire for 60 days and launch talks on the future of Iran's nuclear programme. Since the ceasefire came into effect on April 8, Trump has repeatedly suggested the US and Iran are close to a deal and negotiations are progressing, but so far there have been no substantive results. Trump said he was prepared to lift the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and ships caught in the waterway "may start the process of "heading home!" He also insisted Iran allows the US to remove and destroy its enriched uranium. "No money will be exchanged, until further notice," he said. "Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to."

A White House official confirmed to the BBC that the meeting in the Situation room had concluded, but provided no further details. Iran's Fars news agency cited informed sources as saying that Trump's latest comments were a "mixture of truth and lies", and that there was no provision to destroy nuclear materials in the sides' memorandum of understanding. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV it was "focused on ending the war, and there are no negotiations on the nuclear issue". US Vice-President JD Vance said negotiators were "going back and forth on a couple of language points", which include the "question of enrichment".