US-IRAN DEAL SPARKS WAR OF WORDS: TWO SIDES, TWO STORIES AS MISSING TEXT FUELS DOUBT
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–DIFFERING accounts expose deep gap on next steps while full agreement remains hidden
Key Issues:
1. Agreement Reached But Statements Clash
_”The US and Iran have reached an agreement, but there are discrepancies in their statements and much that we don’t know as the full text has not yet been released.”
2. Diverging Accounts Reveal Gap on Next Steps
_”The differing accounts underscore a significant gap between how the US and Iran are describing the next steps in negotiations.”
3. Both Sides Lay Out Positions on Key Issues
_”Here’s what both sides have said on key issues:”
Strait of Hormuz: President Donald said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen following the expected signing of the agreement on Friday and it would ultimately ensure that the waterway is “permanently toll free.” A US official said the US military received a directive to lift the US blockade of Iranian ports on Friday after the MOU with Iran is signed. Iran, meanwhile, said the agreement included the immediate lifting of the US blockade. Iran’s official Islamic Republic of Iran News Network said the draft agreement included reopening the strait within 30 days “under Iranian arrangements.”
Lebanon conflict: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said both sides had “declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Similarly, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreement will include a “permanent and immediate end to the war on all fronts including Lebanon.” Trump did not include Lebanon in his Sunday remarks. Israel, which launched an airstrike in Beirut earlier on Sunday before the announcement, has not yet commented on the agreement.
Frozen funds: Gharibabadi said the 60-day negotiations between Tehran and Washington after Friday’s signing of the agreement will hinge on the US meeting several obligations, including the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds. But a US official rejected the claim, saying: “This is completely not true. This is a pay for performance deal and no frozen funds will be released without the Iranians implementing their commitments.”
SOURCE ==CNN==EXCEPT THE HEADLINE AND INTRO PLUS A FEW PARAGRAPHS
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