- Trump says Strait of Hormuz will reopen under emerging deal.
- Pakistan reports encouraging progress in negotiations between Iran and the United States.
- Deal to allow Iran to manage Strait of Hormuz, report says.
US President Donald Trump wrote Saturday that a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal with Iran is “largely negotiated,” as both countries and mediators in Pakistan reported progress.
Trump posted on social media that the emerging deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital sea passage whose closure disrupted global energy markets after the conflict began in February when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Trump did not say what else would be included in the deal. “The final aspects and details of the agreement are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly,” Trump said.
Iran far The news agency reported early Sunday that the deal would allow Iran to manage the Strait of Hormuz. He said Trump’s claim that a deal was almost final was “inconsistent with reality.”
Iran had said earlier on Saturday that it was working on a memorandum of understanding setting out an approach to ending the war after its senior officials met Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the negotiations had resulted in “encouraging” progress towards a final understanding. Two Pakistani sources involved in the negotiations said the deal being negotiated is “complete enough to end the war.”
Sources have said Reuters The proposed framework would be developed in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and opening a 30-day period for negotiations on a broader agreement, which can be extended.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump said axios which expected to decide on Sunday whether to resume attacks on Iran. “Either we come to a good agreement or I will blow them to hell.” axios quoted him saying.
One of the Pakistani sources said there was no guarantee the United States would accept the memorandum; Doing so would lead to new talks after the Eid holiday ends on Friday.
Trump to speak with Middle East leaders
Trump, whose approval ratings have been hit by the war’s impact on energy prices for American consumers, said on Friday that he would not attend his son’s wedding this weekend, citing Iran among the reasons he planned to stay in Washington.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had a phone call Saturday with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. axios reported that leaders encouraged Trump to accept the emerging framework.
Pakistan has sought to reduce differences between Iran and the United States after weeks of war have left the vital Hormuz waterway closed to most shipping despite a nervous ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday reiterated Trump’s terms for ending the fighting. “Iran will never be able to have a nuclear weapon. The straits must be open without tolls. They need to hand over their enriched uranium.”
Rubio, who is visiting India, said some progress had been made and work was continuing.
“Even as I talk to you now, work is being done. There’s a chance that, whether it’s later today, tomorrow or in a couple of days, we’ll have something to say,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.
US Vice President JD Vance returned to the White House on Saturday afternoon, cutting short a trip to Ohio.
Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says it has the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. He has demanded monitoring of the strait, an end to the US blockade of its ports and the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
“The trend this week has been towards a reduction in disputes, but there are still issues that need to be discussed through mediators. We will have to wait and see where the situation ends up in the next three or four days,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Baghaei said the issue of the U.S. blockade of Iran’s shipping was important, but his priority was ending the threat of new U.S. attacks and the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, where Iran’s ally Hezbollah is fighting Israeli troops who have moved south.
CDF Munir left Tehran on Saturday after holding talks with Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Qalibaf said Iran would defend its “legitimate rights” both on the battlefield and through diplomacy, but added that he could not trust “a party that has no honesty,” an accusation Iran has made several times before.
He said Iran’s military had rebuilt its capabilities during the ceasefire and that if the United States “foolishly restarts the war,” the consequences would be “more forceful and bitter” than at the beginning of the conflict.
Despite weeks of conflict, Iran has retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, as well as missile, drone and proxy capabilities.
