Diplomat downplays report claiming Iran, US negotiators have reached agreement on MOU pending Trump approval

A man walks past an anti-Israel mural in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 17, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
A man walks past an anti-Israel mural in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 17, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

After Axios reports that US and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to end the war, pending approval by US President Donald Trump, a diplomat from one of the countries involved in the mediation process tells The Times of Israel that the report mischaracterizes the state of negotiations.

According to the Axios report, the terms of the deal were mostly finalized on Tuesday, but Trump has yet to give it his final approval, telling mediators that he “wants a couple days to think about it.”

The diplomat tells ToI that progress has been made and a mutual agreement on the MOU is close, but final answers haven’t been given by either side and therefore, it would not be accurate to state that both sides’ negotiators have reached an agreement.

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