Trump’s announcement last week that an interim MoU with Iran is close to being finalised led to a rare public backlash from prominent congressional Republicans that it amounts to a premature capitulation that leaves Iran strategically intact. (AP file photo) 5 min read May 29, 2026 04:50 PM IST First published on: May 29, 2026 at 04:50 PM IST There was a great sense of optimism last Saturday when Trump held a summit phone call with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Turkey — and spoke separately with Israel — to announce that a US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was close to being finalised. However, the MoU, which could be labelled the Islamabad Declaration, continues to hang fire, though the latest reports suggest it could be signed within days. While the contours of the MoU are still to be made public, details have trickled in from both sides.…