The United States and Iran are to sign an initial peace deal within the next 24 hours, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday, Reuters reports.
The US and Iran have agreed on a framework for a peace deal that could end the months-long war in the Middle East, with the final text of the agreement having been drawn up. The Pakistani prime minister said that his country is preparing for the two sides to sign the initial agreement electronically before technical-level talks next week.
However, on Wednesday, USA and Iran exchanged missile attacks putting in danger the fragile ceasefire agreement.
On Friday, the Trump administration voiced confidence that the two sides would agree to peace terms. However, Iranian descriptions of the agreement have differed from some details released by the US, CNN says. A senior U.S. administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington expected to sign an initial deal in coming days.
While both sides signal progress on a peace deal, Iran says the initial agreement will not be signed on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday 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 on Friday.
On the other camp, US President Donald claimed on Friday that a deal was likely to be signed imminently. That was a day after the US president had declared the US would strike Iran “very hard” again. Later on the day, however, he said he is cancelling the strike because negotiators had “just made a great settlement” with Iran.
He told reporters it was “subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days” and that there would “probably” be a signing ceremony in Europe.
Reuters, citing multiple sources, an agreement includes the US releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports, in return for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. Furthermore, Iran’s nuclear program would be addressed during a 60-day period 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.
However, sources said that Iran has not accepted the dismantling of its nuclear program, wanted to retain the uranium in diluted form.
The proposals also include discussion of possible war reparations for Tehran and dropping longstanding US demands for limits on Iran’s missile program, the sources said.
