White House Says Iran Deal May Take More Time Amid Ongoing Negotiations

Washington: The expectations raised regarding a possible agreement between America and Iran have now been put to rest to some extent. A day earlier, US President Donald Trump had claimed that the agreement between the two countries is very close and it can be announced soon, but now the White House has shown softness in its stance.

What did the US administration official say?

According to the Axios report, a senior US administration official said that it may take several days for the agreement to be approved by Iran's supreme leadership, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pejeshkian had also said that no decision is taken in the country without the approval of the supreme leader.

According to CNN report, another US administration official said that negotiations are still going on on many important points of the agreement, so no agreement is likely to be signed on Sunday. Officials say that there are continuous discussions going on between Washington and Tehran regarding certain conditions and words.

Will Iran's decision-making process take time?

The US official acknowledged that Iran's decision-making process is quite slow and complex, due to which the talks may drag on for a few more days. However, he also said that the Supreme Leader has supported the broad format of the agreement, but the final agreement cannot be considered final yet.

Meanwhile, Iran's government news agency Tasnim has warned that this agreement may be derailed due to America's obstruction in some conditions. At the same time, American officials are also admitting that nothing has been finally decided and the talks can fail at any turn.

What did Trump say on this?

President Trump also said on Sunday that he has instructed American negotiators not to rush. He said that both parties should take adequate time and make the right decision.

The issue of Iran's nuclear program also remains important in the talks. US officials claim Iran has agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eliminate its highly enriched uranium stockpile. However, Iran has not yet officially confirmed this and says that the nuclear issue is not a part of the talks at present.