The United States and Iran have agreed on the wording of a draft peace deal to end their war, but the exact timing of when the agreement will be finalised remains unclear.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been mediating the talks, announced that a final agreed-upon text of the peace deal has been reached between the United States and Iran, with subsequent actions to be determined by mediators. Pakistan, which has taken a proactive role in mediation, is coordinating with the involved nations on the next steps forward.
According to three regional officials, the anticipated agreement is expected to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, gradually lift sanctions on Iran, and allow the release of Iranian assets that have been frozen. A senior U.S. official revealed that pivotal elements of the emerging agreement involve the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear materials, as well as dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program. The official added that Iran must also commit to not funding terrorist organizations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that the Memorandum of Understanding with the US is at a point of being “closer than ever,” while advising the press against making assumptions regarding its specifics. Iranian state media reported that this is a 14-point draft agreement, and Iran says it would reaffirm its commitment to not develop nuclear weapons. The text says a final agreement on the nuclear issues would be reached after the 60-day negotiating period.
On Thursday, Trump claimed significant advancements had been made in the negotiations, just hours after threatening to escalate military actions against Iran. “Negotiations and final agreements have been thoroughly approved in both concept and detail by all involved parties including the United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait and others,” Trump stated.
Iranian sources and Western diplomats noted that indirect discussions between the U.S. and Iran regarding a preliminary peace agreement had intensified, although renewed hostilities this week jeopardized the chances for a swift resolution. Despite the recent clashes, three Iranian sources and Western officials indicated that detailed discussions regarding mechanisms for the release of billions in frozen assets had not yet taken place.
Officials have indicated that a signing of the agreement could occur in the near future, but the precise timeline remains uncertain. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei concurred that progress was made, but disputed Trump’s assertion that a deal would be announced soon. “We have reached conclusions on a large portion of the issues, but no one can claim that the signing of an agreement is imminent,” he told Iranian state media.
Baghaei said that the “focus of the negotiations is on ending the war” and “at this stage, we are not discussing the details of the nuclear issue.” Baghaei suggested a 30-to-60-day window to negotiate a nuclear agreement after Washington and Tehran reached a deal to end the war. Tehran says it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. Iran says that discussions about its missile program is off the table, as well as its support for its proxy groups including Hezbollah and Hamas.
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