Donald Trump, Mojtaba Khamenei
The United States and Iran appear to be close to reaching an agreement to end their war, with both US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – whose government has been actively facilitating talks between Washington and Tehran – indicating that a peace deal has been almost finalized and could be signed soon.Read also | Deal or no deal? Conflicting narratives between the United States and Iran about peace terms keep the world on edgeHowever, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the understanding was “closer than ever,” officials in Tehran remained cautious, stressing that several key issues remained unresolved, and dismissing reports suggesting a date had already been set for a formal signing ceremony.
Here’s what we know about the “peace deal” between the United States and IranThe deal will be signed on Sunday: Donald TrumpTrump said on Saturday that an agreement to end the conflict with Iran would be signed on Sunday and that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz would reopen to international shipping immediately afterward.“The agreement is scheduled to be signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be open to all,” he wrote on Truth Social, describing what could amount to a major diplomatic achievement after months of tensions and negotiations.The US President also compared the proposed agreement to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was negotiated under former President Barack Obama.
“Barack Hussein Obama’s deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was a nice, smooth, easy path to a nuclear weapon, which Iran would have had six years ago, and would have used long before now. My deal with Iran is the exact opposite, a wall that blocks nuclear weapons! In fact, they no longer want a nuclear weapon, and they will never have a nuclear weapon, whether through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement,” Trump wrote.However, Trump repeatedly predicted that a deal was imminent. Including his recent statements, he has claimed on 39 separate occasions that the agreement was about to be signed.The US-Iranian agreement within 24 hours: Shahbaz SharifTrump’s comments came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a peace agreement was “likely” reached within the next 24 hours.Sharif wrote on theThe Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs also published details of the conversation that took place between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.According to the statement, Prince Faisal praised Islamabad’s “consistent and sustained efforts” to promote mediation and dialogue throughout the negotiations.This latest optimism contrasts with the results of the initial round of talks held in Islamabad from April 12 to 13, which ended without any progress.Iran remains cautiousMeanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied reports that an agreement was signed on Sunday.The official Iranian news agency (IRNA) quoted Baghaei as saying, “We have to wait and see the exact date for the signing, although it will not be tomorrow.”He added that although a signing is not expected on Sunday, “the possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out.”Baghaei also denied reports that Iranian negotiators are preparing to travel to Geneva or Islamabad to attend the signing ceremony, denying claims that the Iranian negotiating team intends to visit either city in the “next day or two” despite previous Pakistani statements suggesting the deal could be completed within 24 hours.Does Iran agree not to develop nuclear weapons?According to a senior Trump administration official, the proposed agreement would require Iran to permanently abandon the development or possession of nuclear weapons, dispose of its stockpile of enriched nuclear material, and dismantle infrastructure that could enable weapons production.Any sanctions relief will be phased in only after stringent verification and inspections confirm Iran’s compliance, with a 60-day technical negotiation period to finalize implementation details.The official also stated that the agreement would still allow Tehran to maintain a civilian nuclear energy program, provided it is not used as a means to develop nuclear weapons.(with ANI inputs)
