US President Donald Trump stated that this Sunday an initial agreement with Iran will be signed to move towards the end of the war in the Middle East. From Tehran, however, they ruled out that the signing could take place within that timeframe and called for caution.
Pakistan, which is acting as mediator, reported that the parties have reached a general framework for a peace agreement and is working on an electronic signing scheduled for Sunday, according to Reuters and AP news agencies.
Agreement between the US and Iran: What Tehran responded
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that after the signing, technical talks will begin during the next week. "We are closer than ever to a peace agreement," he wrote on X.
Trump also assured on social media that the Strait of Hormuz will remain "open for all" immediately after the understanding.
From Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected that the agreement will be signed immediately. "We will have to wait to know the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow," he said, according to state media.
And he added: "It cannot be ruled out that this will happen in the coming days. However, due to doubts from the other side, we must be cautious when commenting on this process."
What the draft includes on Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program
The conflict, which began on February 28 after joint attacks by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets, caused thousands of deaths and a sharp rise in international energy prices. In recent days, new exchanges of fire between the parties have also been recorded.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Friday that the draft may still undergo changes, although he considered that it shows Iran emerged stronger from the conflict. Hours later, US forces shot down Iranian drones that, according to a source, posed a threat to commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command confirmed that operation and stated that the waterway remained open. For months, Iran maintained a de facto blockade of the strait, while the US Navy restricted Iranian ports to reduce oil exports.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the memorandum proposes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US naval blockade, releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and suspending sanctions on oil exports. In exchange, negotiations on the nuclear program would be left for a second 60-day phase.
The positions, however, still show differences. While a US official stated that the agreement would lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, Araghchi maintained that Tehran intends to keep its highly enriched uranium in a diluted form. Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that Israel will not be part of the agreement.
