US President Donald Trump said the US-Iran deal will be signed on Sunday. Pakistan has also claimed that an initial agreement to end the Middle East war had reached the signing stage.
Trump said in a social media post that the deal with Iran was scheduled for Sunday. Moreover, he said the Strait of Hormuz would be “open to all” immediately after the signing. Business Standard also reported Trump’s confirmation. In addition, he linked the agreement to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal. He said Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, followed by technical-level talks next week.
Iran pushed back on the timing. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the memorandum would not be signed on Sunday. Nevertheless, he did not rule out a signing in the coming days.
A US official later declined to confirm the exact timing. However, he described the draft as “a great deal and a very strong deal.”
The proposed memorandum calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, it calls for lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme would take place afterwards.
Read: Iran-US Memorandum Will Not Be Signed Sunday, Tehran Says
US Central Command said US forces shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. These drones posed a threat to commercial traffic.
Draft terms described to Reuters by multiple sources include the release of frozen Iranian assets. Also, they include waivers on oil export sanctions in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait.
