US President Donald Trump said a deal aimed at ending hostilities between the United States and Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, although Iran has cast doubt on the proposed timeline.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote.
He also referred to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, saying that “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust,” which he said would later be destroyed.
Trump warned that if the process did not proceed “quickly, easily and smoothly,” Washington had “the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again.”
Pakistan, which has been playing a mediating role, also indicated that an agreement could be finalized soon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the parties were closer than ever to reaching a deal.
“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,” Sharif wrote on X.
However, Iran appeared more cautious about the timing.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a memorandum of understanding was expected but suggested the signing would not take place immediately.
“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,” he said.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said an agreement with Washington was close and that it envisaged an end to the conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
According to Araghchi, the deal would also include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports, while discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin at a later stage.
US officials have confirmed some elements of the proposed agreement, saying any economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran fulfilling its commitments.
Reports have differed over whether Lebanon would be formally included in the arrangement, with some indications that Iran has pushed for its inclusion.
The latest developments come after several previous attempts to finalize a deal stalled in the later stages of negotiations.
The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes inside Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf region, as well as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Although a ceasefire was reached in April, tensions have persisted, with the United States and Iran exchanging intermittent attacks, including two rounds of retaliatory strikes this week.
Source: BBC