Sources: Iran Peace Deal Within Reach

April 14—Sources close to the White House say that they expect that President Donald Trump will extend the 2-week ceasefire now in effect in Iran for "several weeks or months" before its expiration later this week, to allow for negotiations on a comprehensive peace plan to continue.

While the Zionist and British press sewers have tried say that the last round of talks "collapsed" without an agreement, these sources say that progress was made on all key points, and that a deal is within reach in new negotiations. They point out that while Trump says that there are still significant gaps between the positions of the two sides, he also says it is not worth renewing the fighting, which threatened to become a regional war, to close those gaps. Instead, the sources say, Trump wants to implement interim progress on key issues, such as the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as that is possible.

Yet the strategic incoherence within the Trump team and in Trump himself has caused Trump to order a blockade of all traffic in and out of the Strait, until full access for all shipping is granted by Iran. While the forces are not in place to implement this immediately, such a policy could lead to dangerous confrontations, including with Chinese vessels carrying oil from the Gulf and Iran. China had been putting pressure on Iran to keep the straits open.

Remaining Issues

According to these sources, here is where things stand on the key issues of dispute, following the marathon 21 hour session in Islamabad with the Iranians and the U.S. team, led by Vice President JD Vance. Sources report that it had appeared that the meeting was progressing towards the issuance of an "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would provide a framework for an agreement, when Washington ordered Vance to toughen his stance on some matters.

On Iran's nuclear ambitions, Vance, the leader of the U.S. delegation, made it clear that that Iran must make a statement renouncing ambitions towards a nuclear weapon and as well as a prohibition of enrichment. Iran offered a 5-year halt to its nuclear program; the U.S. then apparently defined a "forever ban" as 20 years.

One solution to the language on nuclear weapons, sources report, would be to say that Iran's policy is defined by its signature on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which would bar its development of a nuclear weapon. They could also cite the Fatwa issued by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who the Israelis assassinated, which states that the development of a nuclear weapon and its use is against the teachings of Islam.

Iran continues to insist that it has the sovereign right to enrich uranium under the NNPT. Sources say that the U.S. might agree to enrichment up to 3-5% levels, as that uses equipment (smaller centrifuges) that could not be used to enrich to weapons grade material.

The U.S. also insists that the several hundred of pounds of uranium enriched to more than 60% that Iran holds (supposedly buried in the rubble of a bombed nuclear facility) must be turned over to a third party.

Putin Can Help

Here sources say that the offer by Russian President Vladimir Putin to help mediate a settlement of the remaining outstanding issues could be quite useful, as Iran could agree to turn over the material to Russia, who has in the past expressed a willingness to help on the enrichment issue.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has said that it must remain under its control. Sources say that the U.S. is fine with that, as long as it remains open to all transit and traffic. Sources report that a possible solution would be to create a regional authority that would include Iran that would administer the strait and collect transit fees for its improvement.

These sources say that no one really expected that all the issues involved in a peace deal, which would also involve the release of all sanctions against Iran, could be worked out in one sitting. Thus, the failure to accomplish that does not represent a blow to the peace process, as several Anglo-Zionist pundits have claimed. 

Bibi Is the Problem

"The talks leave us closer to a deal," said a source, "and they show that despite the rhetorical attacks on each other, both sides—the Americans and the Iranians—want to reach a diplomatic solution without resorting to further war.

"The real problem are the Israelis and [Prime Minister] Bibi Netanyahu," the source stated. "They tricked the U.S. into going to war and they want that war to continue until Iran is totally destroyed. Iran and the U.S. can reach a deal, but who will make Bibi comply with it? Trump could not even force him to stop his murderous strikes on Lebanon and the West Bank which were supposed to be included in the ceasefire. Does Trump have the guts to pull the plug on Bibi? What the U.S. needs is regime change in Jerusalem, more than in Tehran."

An announcement on a new round of talks and extension of the ceasefire is expected soon.