US-Iran Deal Will Take Months, Gulf and Europe Officials Say

An Iranian woman walks in front of her destroyed supermarket in southern Tehran on April 14.Photographer: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/AP Photo

Some Gulf Arab and European leaders believe that a US-Iran peace deal will take about six months to be agreed and that the warring sides should extend their ceasefire to cover that timeframe, according to officials from the regions familiar with the matter.

The leaders want the vital Strait of Hormuz opened immediately to restore energy flows and are warning in private that a global food crisis may develop if that doesn’t happen by next month, said the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private talks.