President Donald Trump has sought several changes to the proposed draft to finalize a ceasefire deal on which his US envoys and Iranian negotiators have agreed broadly, Axios reported.
Trump demanded the tweaks during the discussions in the Situation Room meeting on Friday to chalk out a deal to end the Middle East conflict, which has dragged on to the fourth month, according to the Axios report.
A senior US administration official and a second source briefed on the issue said the US President is keen on a deal, but wants to solidify some points he sees as vital.
The report said after Trump sought the amendments, US envoys have launched another round of parleys. These back-and-forth talks could extend to several days.
The US has also cautioned against entering into deals with Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, even if it doesn't involve paying a toll, Bloomberg reported.
The US President had announced on Friday that he would be making a "final determination" in the crucial meeting. Trump had reiterated in a Truth Social post that Iran must agree to never have a "Nuclear Weapon or Bomb," a condition he said was vital for any deal to happen.
"The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!)."
A White House aide had said after the meeting that Trump "will only make a deal that is good for America, satisfies his redlines and makes sure Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."
Iranian officials were also quoted in media reports as saying the Islamic Republic also had not approved the final text.
The Axios report said Trump wanted changes in the draft pertaining to Iran's nuclear program.
The draft memorandum of understanding has provided for a pledge from Iran not to pursue a nuclear weapon, but specific concessions are not woven in.
A two-month window has been incorporated to discuss Iran's commitments on its controversial nuclear program, and relief for sanctions it has sought from the US.
Disposing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and curbing further enrichment are reportedly the contentious clauses.
Trump seeks to weave in the draft specifics "about how the U.S. gets the material (enriched uranium) and the timing," according to a senior administration official.
The US President also has sought changes to wordings around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint controlled by Iran, has been a flashpoint ever since the war broke out following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Before the conflict a fifth of the global energy supplies passed through the Strait. Since the conflict began, passage of energy vessels through the Strait has been hampered, stoking inflationary concerns across the world as oil prices soared to as much as $120 a barrel at one point of time.
A US official reportedly briefed Trump that a response to the fresh demands to tweak wordings from the Iranian side was likely to take at least three days.
"They're literally in caves and they're not using email," the official said.
Officials do not have a specific timeframe for a deal to be finalized, though they are hopeful of a pact.
State-run media in Iran has reported that a deal is near, and claimed it would receive billions in frozen funds, prompting a denial from the White House. The White House has not commented on the specifics.
