The White House, official Facebook post, 23 May 2026
Response from Iran:
The Kobeissi Letter, X, 23 May 2026
Then:
Social media accounts tracking the war summed up Iran’s rejection within the hour. The underlying quotes above are sourced to Iran’s Foreign Ministry via IRNA, Fars News, and military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari.
What happened on May 22?
Iran confirms Qatar-hosted talks to end US-Iran war, with Pakistan serving as lead mediator
A Qatari negotiating team and Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran on May 22 to push ceasefire negotiations forward, as Iran says nuclear issues are off the table for now.
May. 22, 2026
Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on May 22 that active negotiations are underway to end the US-Iran war, with Qatar hosting the talks and Pakistan serving as the lead mediator. The announcement marks the most concrete diplomatic framework to emerge since the conflict began on February 28, 2026.
A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran the same day, joined by a high-ranking Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The goal is straightforward: turn a fragile ceasefire into a permanent end to hostilities.
What we know about the negotiations
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the current round of talks is focused exclusively on ending the war. Nuclear issues are explicitly excluded from the negotiating table for now.
Iran has already responded to US ceasefire proposals through Pakistani mediators, seeking a permanent end to hostilities rather than another temporary pause.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged on May 19 that more time is needed to resolve the negotiations.
The war’s trajectory so far
The conflict broke out on February 28, 2026, following a series of escalating confrontations that included US and Israeli strikes against Iranian targets.
A fragile ceasefire was established around April 8-12, 2026, roughly six weeks into the conflict.
What this means for markets and investors
The Strait of Hormuz, which sits at the doorstep of this conflict, is the narrow waterway through which a massive share of global oil shipments pass. The fragile ceasefire has already created a push-pull dynamic in oil markets, with traders pricing in both the possibility of a permanent peace deal and the risk of a ceasefire collapse.
But if Netanyahu doesn’t get the nuclear deal he wants, the deal is always off, war is back on.
Tehran has also not agreed to hand over its uranium stockpile, with a source telling the news agency that this is not part of the preliminary agreement with the US.
Source: The Independent
Iran-US war latest: Tehran brands Trump ‘inconsistent with reality’ after he announces peace deal is ‘largely negotiated’
Trump said the deal included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the details would be announced “shortly”
Trump says peace deal with Iran ‘largely negotiated’ including Strait of Hormuz reopening
Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated”, with leaks of the draft details showing significant progress has been made.
The US president said on Saturday that the final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed and will be announced “shortly” but was not more specific about the timetable for a further announcement.
Reported details include the US lifting its blockade on Iran ships and issuing some sanction waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely. The US has also agreed to negotiate over the lifting of sanctions and unfreezing of Iranian funds. In exchange, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, among other commitments.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that it would remain under Iran’s management and dismissed Trump’s announcement of reopening the Strait as “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.”
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
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