- Trump claims US-Iran deal signing on Sunday.
- Strait of Hormuz to open immediately after.
- Iran questions timeline; Pakistan PM confirms nearing.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that a long-awaited agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East is expected to be signed on Sunday, following which the Strait of Hormuz will be opened to all immediately.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is open to all.” He compared the proposed agreement with the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama, calling his own version “the exact opposite”.
“Barack Hussein Obama's Deal with Iran, the JCPOA, was an easy, beautiful, smooth road to a Nuclear Weapon, which Iran would have had six years ago, and would have used long before now. My Agreement with Iran is the exact opposite: a wall to no nuclear weapons,” Trump wrote.
According to Trump, the agreement is designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through any means, including development, purchase or procurement. He also stated that Iran no longer seeks nuclear weapons and will not obtain them in the future.
Iran Questions Sunday Signing Timeline
The US President’s announcement came just hours after Iran’s Foreign Ministry cast doubt on the timing of the proposed agreement, stating that a signing on Sunday was not confirmed.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, earlier today stated that no signing of the Islamabad memorandum will take place on Sunday, Iranian media has reported.
He suggested, however, that a settlement may soon be reached and that a signing in the coming days should not be excluded. Baghaei went on to say caution should be exercised when mentioning specific dates, indicating "hesitation and uncertainty" on the part of the other side.
Pakistan PM Signals Deal Within 24 Hours
Earlier, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also said in a statement that the deal is nearing and could be reached within 24 hours.
“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. 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. We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support. We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” Pakistan PM Sharif wrote in a X post.
Draft MoU May Serve As Interim Framework
According to reports cited by various news outlets, negotiators have drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that could serve as a temporary framework to reduce tensions and open the door for a broader peace deal. Trump also indicated that the agreement is aimed at moving toward a structured peace process and opening the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the proposed deal is not a full peace agreement but an interim arrangement. The deal aims at stabilising the region, protecting global oil supply routes, and restarting formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
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