US-Iran deal scheduled to be signed tomorrow, Strait of Hormuz to open immediately for all: Trump

United States President Donald ‌Trump, in a ​social ​media post on ⁠Saturday, ​said a ​deal with Iran was ​scheduled ​to be signed ‌on ⁠Sunday and that the ​Strait ​of ⁠Hormuz would ​be ​immediately "open ⁠to all" ⁠after ​it ​was signed.

He said former US president Barack Hussein Obama’s deal with Iran was an "easy, beautiful, smooth road to a nuclear weapon, which Iran would have had six years ago, and would have used long before now".

Trump claimed his deal was the "exact opposite" and precluded a nuclear weapon.

"In fact, they no longer want a nuclear weapon, nor will they have one, either through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement. The deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is open to all.

"Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous administrations have had. Unlike Obama’s hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to them, including 1.7 billion dollars in green, cold cash, no money will exchange hands. At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the nuclear dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 bombers and their brilliant pilots, and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States."

Trump said he looked forward to working with Iran and the entire Middle East, long into the future.

"Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!"

Earlier, Iran's Foreign ​Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei ⁠said, according ​to state media, that the exact timing of the ​signing of the ‌Islamabad memorandum will not be on ​Sunday.

Baghaei said the possibility of signing the ​Islamabad memorandum ​in the coming days could ‌not ⁠be ruled out, but added that caution was ​needed regarding ​any ⁠comment on the signing ​date due to ​the ⁠hesitation of the other side.

A US official who spoke to reporters later ⁠declined to be drawn on the timing but said: "It's a great deal and a very strong deal."

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said the United States and Iran have agreed on a framework for a peace deal after ​more than three months of war and are expected to sign the initial deal in the next 24 hours.

"With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week."

Shehbaz further stated that he thanks the US and Iran for their "ongoing commitment during the negotiations", and extends his "sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support."

"We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace."

Iran, US close to finalising Pakistan-brokered MoU: Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said during an interview with Iran's State TV, Tehran and Washington are on the verge of finalising a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at formalising the ceasefire that ended the recent conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.

According to IRNA, Araghchi described the proposed agreement as the outcome of two months of negotiations facilitated by Pakistan, which brokered the April 8 ceasefire and has continued to mediate efforts to secure a lasting settlement.

Both Iran and the United States have indicated in recent weeks that discussions are nearing completion. The proposed framework follows the conflict that erupted in late February and was halted after Islamabad helped secure a ceasefire between the parties.

Araghchi said the Iranian Foreign Ministry had pursued the negotiations to consolidate what he described as the Iranian people's victory during the war.

“One of the missions entrusted to the Foreign Ministry was to follow a negotiating track that would preserve and consolidate the achievements of the Iranian nation,” he said, adding that the diplomatic effort had been carried out in full coordination with the country's armed forces.

The foreign minister stressed that Iran's diplomatic and military institutions had worked in tandem throughout the process.

There is something beyond simple unity between the Foreign Ministry and the Armed Forces. We are moving on the same path toward the same objective, each operating from a different trench, he said.

According to Araghchi, negotiations have now reached their final phase, producing a 14-point memorandum of understanding that has been referenced in media reports. While declining to disclose specific provisions, he said the text remains subject to final amendments and would only be made public once formally concluded.

“This process has now reached its final stages, resulting in a 14-point memorandum of understanding that has been mentioned in the media. The details of the memorandum will not be disclosed until it is finalised, as changes may still be made up until the very last moment. Once finalised, the details will be explained to the public,” he said.

Araghchi revealed that the proposed framework has been repeatedly reviewed by Iran's Supreme National Security Council and other relevant decision-making bodies.

He said the Pakistan-brokered document envisages an end to hostilities across multiple theatres, including Lebanon, where Israel would withdraw from territories occupied during the conflict.

“The war will come to an end on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and there will be a commitment not to initiate any new war or resort to threats or the use of force. In the text of the possible MoU, both sides will respect each other’s sovereignty. I believe this would mark the first time in 47 years that the United States explicitly recognises and respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and states and documents it in writing,” he said.

Araghchi said the agreement would be digitally signed by both governments once finalised.

We are closer than ever to that point. It may happen within a day or two, or in the coming days, he said, according to IRNA.

He added that once the MoU is signed, Tehran and Washington would launch negotiations on a comprehensive agreement covering Iran's nuclear programme and the removal of US sanctions.

According to Araghchi, those talks would initially be scheduled for 60 days, with the possibility of an extension if progress is made.

The Iranian foreign minister argued that successful diplomacy requires both parties to achieve a degree of satisfaction, rejecting the notion that negotiations can produce absolute winners and losers.

“There is no agreement or deal in which one side is one hundred percent successful while the other gains nothing. This is a basic principle of diplomacy. When you choose the path of negotiation and dialogue, the satisfaction of both parties is of vital importance," he said.

“If threats and pressure were effective, Iran would have backed down long ago. Our clear message to the other side is that threats are counterproductive. If you seek an understanding, change your language. But if you choose the path of threats, pressure, or war, Iran is ready and capable of responding,” he emphasised.

Details about Islamabad MoU

According to a translation by Drop Site News, Araghchi told Iranian State TV that the emerging memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States is a roughly 1.5- to 2-page document comprising 14 points. He said the text has been negotiated for more than two months and reviewed line by line by Iran's Supreme National Security Council including the country's military leadership.

Araghchi said the first stage of the agreement would include a formal end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, alongside a commitment from both sides that neither would initiate a new war or resort to threats and the use of force. According to Drop Site News, the initial phase would also provide for the lifting of the US naval blockade and establish a framework for the release of Iran's frozen assets.

The Iranian foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz is addressed in the memorandum, noting that Iran's future management of the strategic waterway “will be different from the past” and that services there “will no longer be free.” He explained that arrangements governing the 60-day interim period would be settled through the MoU itself, while additional details could be finalised during subsequent negotiations.

Araghchi added that sanctions relief and reconstruction are included as part of a broader reconstruction and economic development plan. However, he said the specific mechanisms governing those issues would be worked out during follow-on talks.

According to Drop Site News, the second stage of the process would consist of 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement, with the possibility of an extension if both sides consent. Araghchi said those talks would seek to resolve the nuclear file, including questions surrounding uranium enrichment and Iran's stockpile of 60% enriched uranium.

He said the negotiations would also address wider issues referenced in the memorandum, including sanctions relief, the reconstruction and economic development plan, arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz and other technical matters.

On the issue of Hormuz, Araghchi said Iran and Oman, as the two sovereign states bordering the strait, would continue to oversee its security and administration. He suggested that services historically provided free of charge—including maritime security and safe passage, the designation and maintenance of shipping lanes, environmental protection and search-and-rescue operations—could, under a future framework, be subject to fees.

Araghchi said Iran has maintained close consultations with Oman, which he described as its principal partner on matters related to the strait, and that the two countries have achieved “good results.” He added that joint plans and a joint statement would be announced in the near future.

According to Drop Site News, the foreign minister also disclosed that Iran has conducted expert-level consultations with other stakeholder nations, including China. He noted that roughly 40% of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is linked to China because of its economic interests in the region.

Araghchi said the memorandum would be signed remotely in a “digital” format, with each side signing separately before a joint announcement is made. He added that the agreement could be finalised “within the next day or two, or within the next several days.”

Iran peace deal looms while new military action flares near Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran signalled on Friday that an agreement to end their war was close, with a senior US administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington ​expects to sign an initial deal in the coming days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that while changes in the deal were still possible, the tentative agreement showed his country ‌had emerged stronger from the conflict.

"Iran is the winner of the war with the US," he said on state television.

Hours after those remarks, US forces shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drones had posed a threat to commercial traffic. US Central Command later confirmed the action and said the waterway was open for transit.

Iranian news agencies had reported that explosions were heard along ​the strait in Iran's Sirik port and Qeshm island, which residents and local officials attributed to shots fired by Iranian forces to warn vessels attempting to cross the waterway without permission from the ​Revolutionary Guards' navy.

The proposed memorandum of understanding calls for reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, sources on all sides of the talks said. ⁠Negotiations over Iran's nuclear program - US President Donald Trump's stated rationale for starting the war - would take place afterwards.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the deal met Trump's core objectives and ​put negotiations "in a very, very good place."

Read: Iran-US peace deal text 'agreed': PM

Accounts of the draft proposal from Western, Pakistani and Iranian sources pointed to terms that could favour Iran, drawing criticism from Trump, who dismissed the reports as inaccurate.

While there were minor differences ​in the details, the proposals broadly offered Tehran much of what it has sought, with Trump appearing to secure little beyond the reopening of the strait, which Iran closed after the US and Israel strikes in February.

Araghchi said Iran would, along with Oman, retain control of traffic through the strait, which before the war handled one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply.

"Our sword will always hang over the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

A Western source said the deal could be signed as soon as Sunday ​by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with Geneva seen as the likeliest venue.

The US administration official said Europe had been discussed as a venue for signing, but no decision had ​been made.

Araghchi said the deal would be signed remotely before it is announced.

What's in the deal

Draft terms of the deal described to Reuters by multiple sources indicate the US would begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive ‌sanctions on its ⁠oil exports, in return for Iran opening the strait.

Iran's nuclear program would be addressed during 60 days of talks. The US official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed. The terms also include an inspection regime to ensure compliance over the long term.

But Araghchi told state television that Iran, which sources said has not accepted the dismantling of its nuclear program, wanted to retain the uranium in diluted form.

“For Tehran, the only preferred solution for its highly enriched uranium stockpile is down-blending the material,” he said.

The proposals include discussion of possible war reparations for Tehran ​and dropping longstanding US demands for limits on Iran's ​missile program, the sources said. The US official disputed ⁠that account.

Read more: Trump says Iran war deal close as Strait of Hormuz tensions linger

"None of their money released until they perform. Strait of Hormuz will be open. No Iran funding of terrorist groups," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal."

‘We absolutely do not trust Americans,’ says Iran’s chief justice

Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei has said the Iranians “absolutely do not trust the Americans, and this distrust stems from historical facts and events”, referring to last year’s 12-day war, according to Iran’s semi-state Tasnim news agency, as per Al Jazeera.

Mohseni-Ejei was part of the three-man transitional council to lead Tehran after the US and Israeli attacks assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the current war, on February 28.

He claimed that in the ongoing war, Iran has “succeeded in beheading the enemies and cutting off the hands of the aggressors”.

US military planning to secure Iran's nuclear materials if deal reached: Report

The US military has discussed contingency plans to help secure Iran's nuclear materials in the event of an agreement with Tehran, CBS News reported on Friday, citing US officials.

According to the report, Pentagon planners have examined scenarios in which American forces would support the Department of Energy in securing and removing Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles.

One scenario outlined in the report envisions US troops being deployed across the Middle East to support a rapid-response operation, with specialised Department of Energy teams, including its Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), entering Iran alongside US Special Operations forces and the Army's 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command.

Earlier on Friday, a senior Trump administration official told reporters that a long-elusive agreement to end its war against Iran could be reached within the “next few days.”

The official added that the agreement "leads to the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program," as well as the US “getting the enriched material.”

The agreement stipulates that the enriched uranium would be destroyed within Iran and then transferred out of the country, the official said.

Trump agreed to release $24b in frozen Iranian assets without formal announcement

US President Donald Trump has agreed to unfreeze $24 billion in Iranian assets while avoiding explicitly confirming this, a senior Iranian official said Friday, according to the Fars News Agency.

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, made the remarks during a memorial ceremony in the southwestern city of Dezful.

According to the report, Rezaei said Iran's recent conflict "boosted" the country's standing globally, claiming the country's deterrence capacity had grown to a point where "Trump the gambler" now fears negotiating with Tehran.

He also argued that US policy is increasingly shaped by Israeli influence, asserting that America has effectively become a "colony" of the "Zionist regime" due to lobbying within its decision-making circles.

Rezaei's remarks followed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Friday that a proposed memorandum of understanding with the US would formally end the conflict across all fronts, including Lebanon, and pave the way for negotiations on sanctions relief.

Separately, a senior Trump administration official said Friday that the US expects to sign an agreement ending the war with Iran "within the next few days," with the deal expected to lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program.

Israel not party to memorandum

Israel has not been part of the negotiations, and Prime Minister Benjamin ​Netanyahu said his country would not be a party to the agreement.

Netanyahu has clashed with Trump in recent weeks over US demands that Israel curb military action ​in Lebanon to allow Washington to ⁠reach a deal with Tehran.

Araghchi said the agreement would end the war in Lebanon, implying an Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas.

Israel's defence minister said it would not withdraw. A senior Israeli official said Israel expects to retain its freedom to act against threats.

Oil price falls

Progress towards an agreement has emerged at the end of a week that brought a sharp escalation in hostilities in the Gulf, including Israeli-Iranian exchanges of fire and US strikes on Iranian targets, followed by retaliation ⁠against US bases.

Global ​stock markets rose, and oil prices fell on the news. Brent crude prices were down more than 3% at their lowest in ​nearly two months.

The conflict has become a political headache for the White House, amid rising fuel prices and slipping approval ratings for Trump.

Some Republicans worry that the war's unpopularity could cost them control of Congress in November's midterm elections. But many of Trump's fellow Republicans may ​have difficulty endorsing an agreement viewed as too favourable to Iran.