Trump calls full cabinet meeting amid negotiation slowdown with Iran
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WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump will hold a full cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday as his administration faces growing tensions in the Middle East and difficult negotiations with Iran over a possible agreement aimed at reducing the risk of a wider regional conflict. The meeting was originally planned at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, often used for high-level national security discussions. However, Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the gathering was moved back to Washington because of possible bad weather. “Based on the possible bad weather conditions tomorrow, we will be having our Cabinet Meeting in the White House, and will be postponing the Cabinet trip to Camp David. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote. The cabinet meeting comes amidst efforts to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran after weeks of indirect negotiations. The proposed agreement is intended to preserve the fragile ceasefire and create conditions for broader talks on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues. Diplomats familiar with the negotiations say most of the document had already been agreed upon over the weekend. At the time, there was optimism that an early signing of the MoU could help ease tensions in the Persian Gulf, including around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Iranian state TV reported earlier today that Tehran had obtained a draft of the initial, unofficial framework for the MoU. Under the alleged framework, Iran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month, while the US would withdraw military forces from Iran’s vicinity and lift a naval blockade. State TV also claimed that the framework, which excludes military vessels and envisages Iran managing ship traffic through the strait in cooperation with Oman, was not yet finalised and that Tehran would take no s