US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a peace agreement with Iran has been “largely negotiated”, following calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies, and Israel. In a post on his social media platform, Trump stated that a memorandum of understanding was being finalised and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened as part of the deal. He wrote: “An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries.”
However, Iran’s Fars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control, calling Trump’s assertion “inconsistent with reality”. The agency said on Telegram that “the management of the Strait, determining the route, time, method of passage, and issuing permits will continue to be the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, congratulated Trump on his peace efforts and expressed hope that Pakistan would host another round of US-Iran talks “very soon”. He described Trump’s calls with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, and Pakistan as “very useful and productive”. Pakistan’s army chief, Syed Asim Munir, has been a key figure in the negotiations, holding recent meetings in Tehran with Iranian officials.
According to reports, a revised proposal submitted by Iran and Pakistan to the US includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls during a 60-day ceasefire extension, allowing Iran to freely sell oil, and negotiations on curbing its nuclear programme. In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports. Three senior Iranian officials told the New York Times that the agreement would stop fighting in Iran and Lebanon and could release $25bn in frozen Iranian assets, with a nuclear deal to be negotiated within 30 to 60 days.
Trump’s announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at imminent news during a visit to India. Trump said he had spoken with leaders including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, and Israel. He also met with US negotiators, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, to discuss proposals. The lead-up remained tense, with Trump threatening strikes if a deal was not reached, causing dismay among Republican hawks.
