Accord Will Kickstart Toughest Phase of Talks

The Wall Street Journal reports Deal With Iran Is Close, but Accord Will Kickstart Toughest Phase of Talks

The U.S., Iran and the chief mediator Pakistan all agreed Friday that a peace deal to end the war was nearly complete, though an initial agreement would only kick-start the hardest part of nuclear negotiations over the coming months.

A senior Trump administration official said he was around 80% confident that a deal would be reached in the next few days. It would include an Iranian commitment not to develop or procure a nuclear weapon and Tehran's promise that it would destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the official said.

The deal will be structured in a way that Iran receives sanctions relief and economic benefits for the specific steps it takes to wind back its nuclear program, according to the official. If Iran decommissions its nuclear sites, ends its enrichment program and stops funding proxy militia groups—like Hezbollah in Lebanon—it could see broad sanctions relief, which would be a boon to the country's beleaguered economy.

The signing of an initial agreement would open up a 60-day period during which Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. would wind back a blockade of Iran's ports and commerce.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said a memorandum of understanding "has never been closer," while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif added "we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached."

Iranian officials warned however that a final decision hadn't been taken on the deal. "We are in the final stages of reviewing the text of the agreement internally," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

UAE to Unlock Billions of Dollars for Iran

Reuters reports UAE to Unlock Billions of Dollars for Iran

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, four sources said, ?in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the U.S.-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

Word of the move, which has not ‌been previously reported, coincides with the final stages of broader negotiations between Tehran and Washington on ending the war, talks that diplomats say could involve the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks under U.S. sanctions.