Saturday 13 / June / 2026
Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the United States and Iran have agreed to a framework for a peace deal, with the final text of the agreement reached.
Pakistan is now preparing for an electronic signing expected within the next 24 hours followed by technical-level talks next week, Sharif added.
The proposed agreement would reportedly lead to an extension of the April 7 ceasefire by 60 days, during which the Strait of Hormuz would gradually reopen.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that terms dealing with Iran's nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed. He said the parties could agree to extend that period.
US, Iran say peace deal is close, though differences remain
Officials in the United States and Iran have said that a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding between the warring sides could be signed within the next couple of days.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said a deal could be signed "in Europe" on Sunday but that he could not attend — presumably due to the fact that he will host a mixed martial arts fight event on the lawn of the White House to coincide with his birthday.
For those keeping track, this is roughly the fortieth time that Trump has claimed that a peace deal is imminent since the start of the war.
Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday posted on X: "The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer," raising hopes that a break in the fighting may indeed be near.
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Friday cited an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying a draft is "nearly finalized and awaiting a final decision from Iran's decision-making bodies."
In Tehran, any agreement would have to be approved by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been in hiding since the start of the conflict.
Sources in Tehran have said that a ceasefire, which would be followed by further detailed negotiations, would involve the release of as much as $24 billion (€21 billion) in frozen Iranian assets as well as sanctions relief and the withdrawal of nearby US troops in exchange for Iran lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has blocked the strait since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28, putting a stranglehold on the global economy.
Tehran has insisted on getting cash up front before opening the strait as they doubt Trump's good faith in upholding the US end of the agreement, especially considering his history of railing against unfreezing Iranian assets.
Trump in turn blasted Iranian media reports on the terms of the deal in a social media post late Friday, writing: "The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth."
