President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House in Washington on May 1, 2026.
Kevin Lamarck | reuters
An Iranian official said Thursday that Iran is “currently reviewing” US messages received through Pakistani intermediaries, but has yet to reach a conclusion or respond. informed.
The comments came a day after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei was quoted as saying Axios And other outlets reported that the US and Iran were close to a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war and begin further nuclear talks.
President Donald Trump later said at the White House that the Iranians “want to make a deal, and we’ll see if they can make a deal that is satisfactory to us.”
At an event Wednesday evening in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bert Jones in Georgia, Trump predicted the war would be “over quickly.” CBS News reported.
The latest signs that the more than 2-month-old war may be coming to an end sent stocks higher and oil prices lower on Wednesday. But on Thursday afternoon the stock markets fell into the red. Oil It began rising again, as further developments remained unclear.
Things were particularly unclear regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipping, which was closed during the war, causing a blow to global energy supplies.
The US on Monday launched Project Freedom, an effort to get stranded commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf despite Iranian threats in the strait. But Trump abruptly halted that plan a day later, citing progress in talks with Iran.
NBC News reported The U-turn on Wednesday came when Saudi Arabia, a key regional ally, was angered by the operation and suspended US forces from using its bases and airspace.
On Thursday afternoon, The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted those sanctions and that the Trump administration now plans to restart Project Freedom in the coming days.
Meanwhile, senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran would not let the US reopen the strait with an “unrealistic plan”, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV.
Rezaei, who was referring to the US’s purported 14-point proposal, also said the outcome of any talks should include “concrete benefits” for Iran rather than “provocative gestures”.