US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that if Iran honors what has been agreed to, the US-Israeli war on Iran could end and the Strait of Hormuz reopen.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump said in post on Truth Social.
The Revolutionary Guards’ Navy said on Wednesday that safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz will be ensured with US threats coming to an end and new procedures in place, according to state media, in Iran’s first reaction to the US pausing operations to help stranded ships pass through the strait.
The Guards’ statement did not specify what the new procedures entailed and thanked owners and captains of ships for respecting Iranian regulations when moving through the waterway.
The Pakistani source said a report earlier by the US media outlet Axios on the proposed memorandum was accurate. The Axios report had cited two US officials and two other sources familiar with the discussions.
“We will close this very soon. We are getting close,” the Pakistani source said.
Axios reported on Wednesday that the White House believed it was closing in on a one-page memorandum to end the war with Iran, after US President Donald Trump paused a three-day-old naval mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Axios report said the US expected Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours. The US State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Among other provisions, Axios said, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding was being negotiated between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and several Iranian officials, both directly and through mediators, Axios said.
In its current form, the memorandum would declare an end to the war in the region and the start of a 30-day period of negotiations on a detailed agreement to open the strait, limit Iran’s nuclear program and lift US sanctions, Axios added.
Iran’s restrictions on shipping through the strait and the US naval blockade of Iran would be gradually lifted during that 30-day period, Axios said, citing one US official who added that if the negotiations collapse, US forces would be able to restore the blockade or resume military action.
Earlier, Trump announced a pause to “Project Freedom,” a mission announced on Sunday to guide ships through the blocked strait. The mission had failed to bring about any significant resumption of traffic through the waterway, while provoking a new wave of Iranian strikes on ships in the strait and on targets in neighboring countries.
US and Iran ‘closing in on one-page memo to end war’
In the latest incident, a French shipping company reported on Wednesday that one of its container ships had been struck in the strait the previous day, and that injured crew had been evacuated.
In announcing he was pausing the mission, Trump cited “great progress” in negotiations with Iran, without giving further details.
“We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump had launched the naval mission to guide ships through the strait after saying he was likely to reject Iran’s latest proposal. The Iranian offer, made last week, also contained 14 points. It called for setting aside discussion of nuclear issues until after the war ended and the shipping dispute was resolved.
In comments on a visit to China on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made no mention of Trump’s latest remarks, but said Tehran was holding out for “a fair and comprehensive agreement.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday welcomed the announcement by US regarding a pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz at Pakistan’s request.
In a post on X, the prime minister expressed gratitude to President Trump for a courageous leadership and a timely decision to de-escalate tensions in the region.
“I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote.
PM Shehbaz noted that President Trump’s response to requests from Pakistan and other countries, particularly the Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, would contribute positively to regional peace, stability, and reconciliation during a sensitive period.
The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at restraint and the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” he added.