Trump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday, Strait of Hormuz to reopen immediately after | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (local time) that a peace deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday, echoing remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a post on Truth Social, he said: “The deal is to be signed tomorrow and immediately after it is signed the Strait of Hormuz is OPEN TO ALL. Our relationship with Iran is much different and better than the previous administrations.”
The US president went on to say: “We look forward to working with Iran and the entire Middle East long into the future. Hopefully this process will work quickly, easily and smoothly. If not, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never used again.”
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The US and Pakistan say a peace deal will be signed soon
His remarks came hours after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a peace deal was closer than ever and that completion could be expected in the next 24 hours.
In a post on X, Sharif wrote: “We are closer than ever to a peace deal. With completion likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing to electronically sign the peace deal immediately afterwards, followed by technical-level talks next week.” He added: “We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their continued commitment during the negotiations, and express our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support. We are confident that this historic peace agreement will create a solid foundation for lasting peace.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, also called Sharif earlier today. During the call, Sharif reiterated that an agreement between the two sides was close. In a separate post on X, Sharif’s office said: “The peace agreement was ready to be signed by the relevant parties very soon.”
The US and Iran issue conflicting statements about the peace deal
Contradictory statements from the United States and Iran continue to keep everyone on edge. While Trump says the peace deal will be signed tomorrow, earlier today, Iran has denied that it will be signed so soon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing.
“We will have to wait and see for the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” state media quoted Baghaei as saying.
“The possibility that this will happen in the coming days cannot be ruled out. However, given the hesitancy of the other side, we must be cautious in any comments on this process.”
As conflicting statements continue to emerge from both sides, this is not the first time they appear to be on the brink of an initial agreement to end the war that began in late February with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
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What does the deal include?
The draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) reportedly includes provisions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade, according to sources involved in the negotiations. Discussions about Iran’s nuclear program, cited by Trump as a reason for starting the war, will be discussed at a later stage.
Citing a US official, Reuters quoted a US official as saying: “Iran is going to open the Strait of Hormuz, that’s the demand. It could be opened without fees. Once they do, we will lift our blockade,” adding: “It will happen in conjunction and part of the next step, the phase after that, will be demining the straits.”
In addition, the memorandum of understanding also suggests that Washington will begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on oil exports in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted Baghaei as saying that the release of Iran’s frozen assets was an integral part of the deal and that Iran would also have to charge for services in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Republic’s nuclear program will be addressed within 60 days of negotiations. A U.S. official said the deal would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium destroyed and disposed of.
