UMVA has learned that a significant development in the war-torn Middle East has brought the United States and Iran to the brink of a potential deal, with President Donald Trump revealing in an NBC News interview that Tehran has agreed in principle to relinquish its nuclear ambitions.
According to Trump, both sides are "very close" to reaching an agreement, with Iran conceding to a clause that would prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. However, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the terms, saying "everybody was very happy with it except me."
The US president emphasized his desire for additional restrictions to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, contradicting comments from a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, who claimed that indirect talks between the two nations were deadlocked over $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets held by the US.
Trump made it clear that he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift sanctions before a peace deal is reached, as mediator Pakistan makes a diplomatic push to end the war, sending its interior minister to Tehran to deliver a "special letter" to Iran's supreme leader.
The development comes as the US and Iran exchanged attacks in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, despite a ceasefire, with Trump stating that he does not plan to withdraw the approximately 50,000 US troops in the Middle East until the "completion" of the war.
Trump also mentioned the possibility of sending US troops to retrieve Iran's nuclear stockpile, but hoped it would be done as part of a deal with Iran to end the three-month-old war, saying "if we make a deal that now we're friendly, we'll all go together. It'll be our equipment. We'll take it out and destroy it."
Meanwhile, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran, carrying a letter from the Pakistani army chief to Iran's supreme leader, as well as a message from Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which was described as a "very important message."
The diplomatic efforts come as Israel struck the southern Beirut suburbs, targeting two apartments in two buildings, killing at least two people and injuring 11, in apparent retaliation for Hezbollah firing toward northern Israel.
The Israeli military action is a setback to the prospects of a US-Iran peace deal, as Lebanon was drawn into the wider war when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the situation remains volatile, with Kuwait airport and US forces targeted in an Iranian attack, resulting in at least one death and 63 injuries.
