‘Not tomorrow': Iran rejects Pakistan's 24-hour timeline for signing deal with US, urges caution
Hours after Islamabad’s positive outlook on the signing of a deal between the US and Iran, the latter has rejected the signing of any such framework by Sunday, June 14.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had, earlier on Saturday, said the two sides had agreed on a framework for the peace deal, with the initial agreement expected to be signed on Sunday. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei tempered hopes of a deal being signed on Sunday, while signalling the willingness to do so in the near future.
“We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” Baghaei was quoted as saying by the state media, according to Reuters news agency. However, he added, “The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out.” Baghaei also urged the parties involved to remain “cautious in making any comments about this process”, while citing “the hesitation of the other side.”
Also Read | Rubio tells India ‘ships violating US blockade in Hormuz won’t be tolerated’, days after Indian seafarers killed
Both sides signal deal close, Pakistan gives timeline
Both Iran and US had signalled on Friday that an agreement to end three months of war was close, despite recent clashes. A US administration official said both sides had agreed on the text, adding that Washington expected the initial deal to be signed in the coming days, Reuters reported.
On Saturday, Pakistan PM Sharif claimed that a deal would be signed by electronic means within the next 24 hours, i.e. by Sunday, and this will be followed by technical talks next week.
“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before,” Sharif said on X. While US President Donald Trump did not say anything, he posted screenshots of Sharif’s post on X on his Truth Social platform.
Also Read | Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei to be buried on July 9: Report
What do we know about the deal and its aftermath?
The proposed memorandum of understanding which is reportedly near to finalisation includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, according to Reuters.
The draft terms include the US releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and the waiving of oil sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, Reuters reported citing multiple sources, without naming anyone.
Negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear programme – which was US President Trump’s initial reason to start the war – will reportedly take place at a later stage. This issue would be addressed during a 60-day period of talks. While senior leaders have not commented on the terms, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Iran had emerged stronger following the conflict. “Iran is the winner of the war with the US,” he said on state television on Friday.
Meanwhile, a US official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said Trump’s core objectives had been met with the deal, adding that the negotiations were at a “very, very good place.”
However, a bone of contention has been Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, with Trump too at times acknowledging clashes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the matter.
Netanyahu has said his country will not be party to the US-Iran agreement, while Iran’s foreign minister Araghchi has stated that the deal would end the war in Lebanon.