Deal being worked out to revive US-Iran MoU, open Hormuz for 60 days without fees: Report

A day after President Donald Trump called off a major attack on Iran saying the Islamic Republic had agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, reports said the deal being mediated will revive the memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries last month and ensure that the strait remains open for 60 days without fees.

The deal would renew the ceasefire between the two sides and ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for 60 days without fees, reported Channel 12 on Sunday, citing sources aware of the details.

The Iranian state media also said that negotiations between Iran and Oman over a mutual mechanism to govern the strait were in their final stages but did not share further details.

The US-Iran memorandum obligated Iran to fully open the strait “for 60 days only,” and did not impose restrictions after that.

It collapsed amid competing claims over Hormuz, with US President Donald Trump insisting the strait would be open, while Tehran claimed the deal allowed it to control the key waterway.

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According to the Channel 12 report, Israel was to be part of the attack, the planning for which began a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House.

The US Central Command prepared an attack plan on Iranian energy infrastructure. “Israel was supposed to be part of the plan,” a US official told Channel 12.

Israel told the US that if the attack did not significantly damage Iranian economic and regime targets, there would be no point in carrying it out.

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Qataris told Trump Iran agreed to open Hormuz

Qatar engaged in intensive talks with Iran, the US, and Oman to try to head off the attack and open up the Strait of Hormuz.

Besides, Qatari officials told Trump on Saturday that they needed another day to reach a solution with Iran. Later in the day, Qatar told Trump that Iran had agreed to a proposal to open the Strait.

Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman called Trump to urge him not to strike and managed to sway him. Trump then posted on Truth Social that he was calling off the attack and that Iran had agreed to open the strait and end its nuclear programme. Though Tehran denied the claims on Hormuz, no strikes were reported from either side overnight into Sunday after the announcement.

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UAE pushed Trump for action, said IRGC won’t budge: WSJ report

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that, while Saudi Arabia had pushed Trump to refrain from a major attack on Iran over the weekend, the United Arab Emirates had lobbied him to take more decisive action.

The report, citing senior Gulf officials familiar with the discussion, said the UAE argued that the IRGC would not budge on its demands without an escalation by the US, including Washington taking control of the Strait of Hormuz and possibly launching a ground incursion.

The UAE carried out its own strikes against Iran and it also hosted Israeli air defence troops on its soil to help counter Iranian attacks.