US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a new agreement with Iran is set to be signed on Sunday, claiming it will prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that Iran "no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one" and that the deal would be signed the following day, with the strait opening immediately after.
Trump added, "If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!" This comes after weeks of conflicting statements from US and Iranian officials regarding the status of negotiations. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed optimism, saying Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei urged caution, stating that the signing would not occur on Sunday but could happen in the coming days.
The proposed deal reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and setting a 60-day period for negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme. Iranian officials have claimed the agreement would release $24bn (£18bn) of frozen assets and allow Iran to levy service charges on passage through the strait. In contrast, US officials have stated that the deal requires the destruction of Iran's nuclear material and a halt to its support for militant groups, with no frozen funds released until demands are met.
Trump has previously claimed about 40 times that a deal was imminent, only to revert to threats of military action. Recent days have seen heightened clashes between Iran and US-led forces, including the downing of Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz. The situation remains fluid, with both sides framing the potential agreement as a victory.
