The United States and Iran are nearing a framework agreement to end a war that has continued for more than three months, amid growing signs of success for Pakistan-led mediation with the participation of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. However, disputes over the timing of the signing and specific clauses of the deal continue to cloud the diplomatic progress.
US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Saturday evening that they expect the initial agreement to be signed on Sunday. The deal would pave the way for broader negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has closed the strait almost completely since the beginning of March in response to US-Israeli aggression.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the agreement “is scheduled to get signed tomorrow,” adding that “immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said via X yesterday, “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalization likely expected in the next 24 hours.” Sharif confirmed that the signing of the agreement will be electronic, and will be followed by technical talks next week.
However, Tehran did not confirm the date given by Trump and Sharif. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the date of the signing had not yet been settled, suggesting that it would take place “in the coming days” and not Sunday.
According to an unnamed Reuters source, Qatari negotiators headed to Tehran on Sunday morning in an attempt to put the final touches on the agreement, which is viewed as the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the outbreak of the war last February.
Extending the truce and nuclear negotiations
The memorandum of understanding reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire extension, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and separate talks on Iran’s nuclear program. In exchange, the US would ease or lift select sanctions and release a portion of frozen Iranian assets abroad.
According to Reuters, a US official told reporters that opening the strait represents a “requirement” in the agreement, explaining that Washington would lift the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports concurrently with restoring navigation in the maritime corridor through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes.
The details of the understanding remain contested. While US sources say upcoming talks will ultimately dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and eliminate its highly enriched uranium stockpile, Tehran stresses that any deal requires the immediate release of frozen assets and sanctions relief. Iranian officials also reject concessions compromising national sovereignty or framing the agreement as a surrender to US pressure.
News of the imminent deal coincided with a surge in opposition from hardline conservatives inside Iran. Circulating video footage showed demonstrations in Tehran and Mashhad targeting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, where protesters accused him of making concessions to Washington and chanted slogans demanding his resignation.
In return, Trump faces domestic pressure to end a war that has sparked widespread controversy within the United States, as he also prepares in the coming days for meetings with G7 leaders and a number of Arab leaders to discuss post-war arrangements and the security of navigation in the Gulf.
Despite the atmosphere of optimism that has surrounded the negotiations over recent hours, the continuation of limited clashes in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, and the declared differences over the date of the signing and the clauses of the final agreement, indicate that the path toward a stable settlement is not yet fully secure.
Israel not included
It appears that the US-Iranian agreement does not include Israel, which said it had bombed more than 70 sites in Lebanon during the past 24 hours. This stance is rejected by Tehran, which emphasizes that stopping the Israeli aggression on Lebanon must be part of the agreement.
In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that Israel retains its right to act unilaterally to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, emphasizing that it will not automatically withdraw from positions in Lebanon simply because the US-Iranian agreement includes a halt to the escalation there.
The newspaper Israel Hayom quoted an unnamed Israeli diplomatic source as saying that Tel Aviv would not be required to sign an agreement with Iran, emphasizing that it retains the right to defend itself, but it will act in coordination with the United States.
According to the newspaper, the source noted that Trump promised Netanyahu that Iran’s nuclear program, its missiles, and Hezbollah would be addressed within the agreement, and that without these provisions, no deal would be reached.
