US President Donald Trump has announced that a deal between the United States and Iran is set to be finalized on Sunday, and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen right after the agreement is signed.
Pakistan, which has been mediating the talks, said a final agreed-upon text of a US-Iran peace deal has been reached, with only next steps needing clarification. The deal is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, extend the current ceasefire, and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen to shipping, returning to the situation that existed before the US and Israel launched their recent military action against Iran. The ceasefire is expected to continue for a further 60 days, with conflict ending across multiple fronts including Lebanon.
The proposed memorandum of understanding includes lifting of naval blockades within a 30-day window, suspension of economic sanctions on Iran’s sale of crude oil, unfreezing of Iranian assets, and a structured 60-day negotiation window to reach a final treaty based on nuclear matters.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a deal with the US to end fighting in Iran is close and includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a US blockade of Iran, but that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin later. He stressed that the interim deal would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war on the Lebanese front, while the nuclear issue and lifting of sanctions will be discussed in the second stage when a final agreement is reached.
The US has yet to sign off on the agreement, which comes at a time of escalating exchanges of fire between the two sides, with concern that the existing ceasefire deal may collapse. Negotiators for the US and Iran have reached an agreement, but Donald Trump is still to approve it.
The draft agreement also includes commitments from Iran never to pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment program and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Sources have told Reuters the proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, which can be extended.
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