"Possible" US, Iran are moving closer to a deal - foreign policy analyst

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2026, 11:43am

Smoke rises from the Israeli settlement of Itamar in the West Bank, near Nablus, after missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Johns Hopkins foreign policy analyst Jeffrey Pryce is sceptical of US President Donald Trump’s claim that an agreement in the Middle East is approved and ready to be signed.

Speaking to Francesca Rudkin, Pryce pointed to the extensive demands in a proposed Memorandum of Understanding from several weeks ago, which did not progress.

That MoU had included a permanent ceasefire, likely including Lebanon; the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and removal of the US naval blockade; and the beginning of nuclear negotiations, possibly including progress on unfreezing Iranian assets or lifting sanctions on Iran.

There was also a push for the Gulf states to sign the Abraham Accords – all of which was “a lot to put into an agreement”.

Pryce did agree with Trump that the Iranian decision-making progress could be very extended.

“Things have to be brought up to the Supreme Leader, who is by all accounts severely injured, and they have a sort of a long, painstaking process of decision making. So it's possible that we're getting closer to a deal.”

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