Iran's Mehr news agency on Friday published a draft deal with the United States which would, if adopted, secure the release of $24 billion in frozen assets within a 60-day period. The agency, citing a source close to Iran's negotiating team, said an accord would allow for the "release of $24 billion of Iran's blocked funds during the 60-day final negotiation period." It added that half of that sum would be "made available to Iran before the start of negotiations." US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had called off new military strikes on Iran, claiming a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war just hours after the American leader threatened to escalate the conflict by seizing control of Iran's oil industry. Trump has said multiple times in recent weeks that the warring parties have been on the cusp of a deal without anything coming to fruition. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a live phone call on state television that mediators were active and nothing had been finalized to end the conflict that began Feb. 28 when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran. Trump opened an Oval Office event Thursday afternoon saying: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.” He offered scant details, other than to say he expects an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire that started in April to be finalized “over the next few days.”
