US-Iran peace deal: Negotiators signal progress, say interim deal in final stages as Islamabad sends revised draft | Today’s news

A day after Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Iran to hold high-level talks on brokering a US-Iran peace deal, a Pakistani official indicated that an interim agreement to end the war was in the “final stage”.

Citing officials involved in the negotiations, Reuters reported on Saturday: “The interim deal to end the Iran war is in its final stages and is ‘fairly comprehensive’.” The official also added: “It’s never over until it’s done.”

Read also | US-Iran peace talks: Pakistan’s Asim Munir arrives in Tehran for second visit

In addition, sources said Tehran and Islamabad have sent Washington a revised offer to end the war that began in late February and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) closed soon after the attacks began.

The development comes at a time of uncertainty over the peace deal between Washington and Tehran.

Negotiators signal diplomatic progress

Earlier today, Iran, the United States and mediator Pakistan said progress had been made in talks aimed at ending the nearly three-month-old war. The Islamic Republic said it was focused on finalizing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after the country’s top official met Munir.

Pakistan’s military also commented on the progress, noting that the talks had resulted in “encouraging” progress towards a final understanding. Two Pakistani sources involved in the negotiations said the deal being negotiated was “quite comprehensive to end the war”.

Read also | Iranian FM and Pakistan army chief discuss West Asian conflict in Tehran

The report added that the proposed framework would unfold in three phases: a formal end to the war, resolution of the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the opening of a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement that could be extended.

In an interview with Axios recently, US President Donald Trump said he would discuss the latest draft of the deal sent by Tehran with his advisers and could decide on Sunday whether to resume attacks on the Islamic Republic. “Either we get a good deal or I throw them into a thousand hells,” Trump said.

A peace deal between the US and Iran soon?

Earlier today, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, citing Pakistani sources, noted that Iranian, Pakistani and Qatari delegations had engaged in intensive discussions in Tehran to “finalize” an “interim” deal with the US to end the Middle East war, expecting a “significant breakthrough” by the end of this week.

Pakistani and Qatari delegations are holding consultations with US and Iranian negotiators to reach a consensus on an interim agreement between the two warring parties, the state agency said.

Munir, who left Tehran after talks with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, is said to have made at least two phone calls in the past 24 hours to US intermediaries, including Vice President JD Vance.

Read also | The US claims “little progress” as the Iran deal remains in limbo

A source briefed on the talks said the current talks revolved around Tehran’s nuclear program and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as Washington seeks some “concrete and practical” assurances to be part of the deal. However, the Islamic Republic insisted on discussing the two issues in a second phase of talks once the agreement is finalized.

Currently, the interim agreement reportedly calls for an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, the reopening of the Straits, the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports and the resumption of nuclear negotiations within the next 30 days.

With a shaky ceasefire lasting nearly two months, it remains to be seen whether a breakthrough in a peace deal will finally be reached, which could bring relief to energy markets.

Key things

• More countries are participating in the peace agreement negotiations and it shows the role of regional diplomacy.
• The interim agreement aims to halt the fighting, reopen key shipping lanes and resume nuclear talks.
• The situation remains unstable, which highlights the complexity of international negotiations and the stakes involved.