WASHINGTON, August 5 (HS/RIA Novosti) - The probability that the US and Iran would make a deal by August 7 is 50%, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Gulf official.

Currently, the Iranian negotiating team does not include the voice of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is required to sign a preliminary agreement, the report noted.

US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran continued throughout Tuesday and assessed them positively. He made the statement following a report by Axios that the United States, Iran and Oman are close to reaching a temporary agreement to resume operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

Late on Saturday, Trump said he had canceled strikes on Iran in light of a pending settlement deal, the contours of which include opening the Strait of Hormuz and agreements on the nuclear program. The New York Times reported that the agreement provides for Iran and Oman to reach a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 60 days.

On July 12, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until the end of US interference in the region, following another wave of exchanges of strikes between the parties to the conflict. The next day, Trump said the United States would become a guardian of the Strait of Hormuz. He also reinstated the US blockade of Iranian ports.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar