US President on Saturday (local time) said that a peace deal with Iran will be signed on Sunday, echoing Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks.
In a post on Truth Social, he said, “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL. Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous Administrations have had.”
The further said, “We look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future. Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again.”
US, Pakistan say peace deal to be signed soon
His remarks came hours after Pakistan’s PM, , said that the peace deal is closer than ever before and that finalisation could be expected in the next 24 hours.
In a post on X, Sharif wrote, “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week.” He added, “We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support. We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace.”
Earlier today, Sharif also received a call from the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of , Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. During the call, Sharif reiterated that a deal between the two sides is close. In a separate post on X, Sharif’s office stated, “The peace deal was ready for signatures by the relevant parties very shortly.”
US, Iran issue contradictory statements on peace deal
The contradictory statements from the and Iran continue, keeping everyone on the edge. While Trump says that a peace deal will be signed tomorrow, earlier today, denied that the signing would take place so soon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing.
“We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” state media quoted Baghaei as saying.
“The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out. However, due to the hesitation of the other side, we must be cautious in making any comments about this process.”
As contradictory statements continue to emerge from both sides, this is not the first time they have appeared to be on the verge of an initial agreement to end the war that began in late February with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
What does the deal include?
The draft memorandum of understanding () reportedly includes provisions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade, according to sources involved in the negotiations. Discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, cited by Trump as the reason for launching the , would be taken up in a subsequent phase.
Citing a US official, Reuters reported, “Iran is going to open up the Strait of Hormuz, that’s a requirement. It could be open with no tolls. As they do that, we will lift our blockade,” and added, “It’s going to happen in conjunction, and part of the next step, the phase after that, is going to be the demining of the straits.”
Additionally, the MoU also indicates that Washington would begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports in exchange for Iran reopening .
Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted Baghaei as saying that the release of Iran’s frozen assets was an integral part of the agreement and that Iran would also have to charge for services in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Republic’s would be addressed during 60 days of talks. A US official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.
(With agency inputs)
