A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
Here is a summary of the main developments reported on Sunday (25 May), as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran negotiations continued to dominate the agenda:
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said key clauses in a potential agreement with the United States remain unresolved, warning there is still a possibility the deal could be cancelled.
According to Tasnim, disputes persist over U.S. conditions, including the issue of releasing Iran’s blocked assets, which it said Washington continues to obstruct. The report cited an informed source, adding that negotiations have not yet reached a final framework.
Separate reports suggest mediation efforts are continuing, with unresolved disagreements over several provisions, including financial sanctions relief and implementation mechanisms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump, with both leaders agreeing that any deal with Iran must eliminate what they described as the nuclear threat.
Writing on X, Netanyahu said this would require dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory.
He reiterated that “Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” aligning his position with Trump’s stated policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he has instructed his diplomatic representatives not to rush into a deal with Iran, stating that “time is on our side,” just a day after saying an agreement with Tehran had been largely negotiated.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the blockade would remain in place until a deal is “certified and signed,” adding that both sides must proceed carefully and “get it right.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social showing a US drone striking an Iranian naval vessel, captioned “Adios,” according to multiple reports.
The post comes amid heightened tensions in the Iran conflict and ongoing uncertainty over diplomatic efforts, with reports suggesting discussions continue on a potential deal involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said 33 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after what it described as obtaining permission from Iranian authorities, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
International maritime monitoring bodies did not immediately comment on the figure or on Iran’s assertion that vessels require its approval to pass through the strategic waterway.
The Israeli military has warned residents of 10 towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of expected strikes on what it described as “Hezbollah targets”.
In a post on X, the army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee instructed civilians to move at least 1,000 metres away from the targeted areas immediately.
The warning covered the towns and villages of Machghara, Deir ez-Zahrani, al-Sharqiyah, Doueir, Qlailah, Sohmor, Zibdin, Nabatieh at-Tahta, Arab Salim and Kfar Jouz, amid escalating Israeli operations across southern Lebanon.
The Iranian army has reportedly shot down a surveillance drone in Iran’s Hormozgan province, according to Mehr News Agency, amid growing expectations of a possible U.S.-Iran agreement on a memorandum of understanding related to a peace deal.
The wreckage of a shattered Orbiter drone, an Israeli product, was discovered in cooperation with Iranian naval forces, the agency said.
A Bahraini court has sentenced nine defendants to life in prison and two others to three years.
They were found guilty of collaborating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out what was described as “hostile and terrorist acts” against Bahrain, the state news agency reported on Sunday.
The defendants were involved in gathering information on sensitive sites and facilitating related financial transfers, the statement said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed signs of progress in talks over a possible peace deal between the United States and Iran.
"We need a deal that truly de-escalates the conflict, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and guarantees toll-free full freedom of navigation. Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon," von der Leyen wrote on X.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that Washington and Iran have "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has welcomed progress towards a potential agreement between the United States and Iran.
“We need to see an agreement that brings the conflict to an end and reopens the Strait of Hormuz,” Starmer said on X.
The British leader also said it was “vital” that Iran should never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
A senior Iranian source told that Tehran has not agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile. The source said Iran's nuclear issue was not part of the preliminary agreement with the United States.
"The nuclear issue will be addressed in negotiations for a final agreement and are therefore not part of the current deal. There has been no agreement over Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to be shipped out of the country," said the source.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday, as the two sides discussed the Middle East, trade, visas, maritime security and energy supplies.
Rubio said progress had been made in the past 48 hours on efforts towards resolving the Iran conflict.
Türkiye is ready to provide every kind of support during implementation of a potential deal with Iran, President Tayyip Erdoğan said in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump and regional leaders.
Erdoğan's office on Sunday cited him as saying during the call that an agreement to secure free passage through the Hormuz would support stability in the region, providing relief to the global economy.
A potential deal between Iran and the United States stipulates that the number of ships able to transit the Strait of Hormuz would return to the pre-war level within 30 days, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The naval blockade must be completely lifted within 30 days according to a memorandum of understanding, Tasnim said, adding that part of Iran's frozen funds must be released in the first phase.
U.S. President Trump and regional leaders, including the Saudi Crown Prince and counterparts from Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan, held a joint call on regional tensions, praising mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar and coordination to reduce escalation and improve stability.
Iran executed one person for charges related to sending information to the U.S. and Israel during the war, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Sunday.
The individual, identified as Mojtaba Kian, was sending data about Iran's defence industry to "the enemy", according to the news agency.
At least 25 medical, nursing and administrative staff at Hiram Hospital in southern Lebanon were injured in Israeli airstrikes, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The ministry said the strikes caused “various injuries” among staff members at the hospital in the Tyre district and resulted in “severe damage” to the facility.
“This is the second time in less than two months that the hospital has been exposed to such dangers due to repeated Israeli attacks,” the statement said.
A suspect was killed on Saturday evening in Washington DC, after opening fire on Secret Service agents near the White House.
Gunfire was heard around 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT), forcing journalists working nearby to take cover.
In a statement, the U.S. Secret Service said the suspect pulled a weapon from a bag near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and opened fire on agents, who returned fire and killed him.
The U.S. and Iran are reportedly close to a deal involving a 60-day ceasefire extension, during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and Iran would be able to resume oil sales, Axios reported on Saturday.
The draft also includes Iranian commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate suspending uranium enrichment and removing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal has been "largely negotiated" with Iran and will open the Strait of Hormuz, with details to be unveiled soon.
"Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly," Trump wrote on Trump Social.
Trump posted the announcement after separate calls with the leaders of Muslim majority nations and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Fars reported early on Sunday that the agreement would allow Iran to manage the Strait of Hormuz and that Trump's assertion on the strait was "inconsistent with reality."
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Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the U.S. President and his Deputy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Indian drivers face higher fuel costs after state-run fuel retailers raised petrol and diesel prices for the first time in four years by three rupees ($0.03) per litre, equivalent to more than 3%.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
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Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
Iran is restoring global Internet access after President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the repeal of restrictions that have been in place for almost three months.
The U.S. military has said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said peace talks could drag out for several more days while the language of a deal is finalised.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told confidants that Israel has limited ability to influence U.S. President Donald Trump’s decisions on Iran, as Washington negotiates a deal aimed at ending the three-month-old war, according to two Israeli officials.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it had authorised 32 vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Washington moved closer to an interim peace deal reportedly mediated by Islamabad.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
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