By Iran says peace with US has ‘never been closer’ as Pakistan says text of deal ‘agreed’
A woman walks past a mural in Tehran, as a peace deal between the US and Iran seems close. (Reuters: Majid Asgaripour)
In short:
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the text of a peace deal between the US and Iran has been “agreed”.
The mediator spoke after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said peace “had never been closer” in a social media post that was shared by Donald Trump.
It follows several days of fresh strikes between the two warrring sides.
The final text of a deal between the US and Iran has been agreed by both sides, mediator Pakistan has claimed, as Iran’s foreign minister says peace “has never been closer”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has acted as mediator between the two warring sides, posted on X that the next steps were being finalised.
“We can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps,” Mr Sharif wrote.
He tagged both the US and Iranian presidents and other leaders from both countries. Pakistan has been mediating between the two sides for months.
“Peace has never been as close as it is now,” Mr Sharif said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that a deal with the US to end the war had never been closer, after US President Donald Trump furiously accused Tehran of negotiating in bad faith.
A senior US official told the Associated Press that the tentative deal includes terms for removing and destroying nuclear material from Iran.
Mr Trump shared Mr Araghchi’s post on his own social media.
“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal,”
Mr Sharif added.
The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran exchanged fire with the US and Israel over three days this week, threatening to return the Middle East to full-scale war.
Mr Trump has said multiple times in recent weeks that the countries were on the cusp of a deal.
Underscoring the fragility of the talks, Mr Trump on Friday also lashed out at Iranian officials on social media and said: “They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Donald Trump had lashed out at Iran after reports in the media. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
The war launched by the US and Israel on February 28 has rattled the Middle East and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
The regional officials said the emerging deal is expected to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
These officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, declined to discuss further details.
A senior US official said key terms in the emerging agreement include the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear material and the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear program.
The terms also include Iran agreeing not to fund terrorist groups, the official said.
Deal could be signed in coming days, say officials
Iran’s nuclear program has been a key point of division. The US and Israel fear it could lead to an atomic weapon — a main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.
Also critical is Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas. Disruption of transit through the strait has crimped global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.
The US has responded since mid-April with a naval blockade of Iranian ports to choke off Iran’s own oil exports.
The regional officials said they expected a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.
“This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace,” US Vice President JD Vance said Friday in a social media post, without releasing details.
Mr Trump claimed significant progress in the negotiations, just hours after he threatened to escalate attacks and seize Iran’s oil industry.
Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on state television that mediators were active and the text of a deal was “mostly finalised”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is not a party to the deal being negotiated. He said in a statement that he and the US president were in “full agreement” that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that Israel also expected Trump to uphold key Israeli interests, including weakening Iran’s missile program and proxy network.
ABC/wires
Originally published on www.abc.net.au — View original