A peace agreement between the United States and Iran is scheduled for signature today, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump stated that the landmark deal would clear the way for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, saying the vital waterway would be “open to all” once the agreement is signed.
“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote.
He also claimed that his administration now has a better relationship with Tehran than previous United States governments.
“Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous Administrations have had,” he added.
The announcement came as Trump marked his 80th birthday and prepared for the G7 summit in France, where the Iran crisis and the security of the Strait of Hormuz are expected to dominate discussions.
However, Iran appeared to caution against Trump’s claim that the agreement was ready for immediate signing.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would be careful about public statements on the matter because of what he described as instability from the other side.
“Due to the other party’s instability, we must be cautious about any statements regarding this process,” Baghaei said.
The proposed agreement is expected to lead to a 60-day truce and create room for further talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
It is also expected to include discussions on how Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium would either be removed or destroyed, following months of military confrontation involving the United States and Iran.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, had earlier suggested that both sides could sign the deal electronically, saying the agreement was closer than ever.
Trump later reposted Sharif’s statement before issuing his own announcement on Truth Social.
The US President also used the opportunity to attack former President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran, describing it as a bad deal that gave Tehran a smooth path toward nuclear weapons.
If the new agreement is eventually signed, the United States is expected to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and consider easing some sanctions on Tehran.
There have also been reports that billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets could be released as part of the wider peace arrangement.
However, Trump denied claims in Iranian media that Washington had agreed to contribute £224 billion toward Iran’s reconstruction, insisting that such terms were not part of the deal.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the talks because it is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, with a major share of global oil and gas passing through it.
Since the start of the conflict, Iran has reportedly closed the waterway and laid mines there, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.
Despite the talk of a possible deal, tensions remain high. US Central Command reportedly downed several Iranian drones overnight after they were said to be targeting commercial ships in the Strait.
An unknown projectile also reportedly hit a ship off the coast of Oman around the same period.
Trump is expected to discuss efforts to de-mine the Strait of Hormuz with G7 leaders, as well as leaders from Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
While Trump is presenting the proposed agreement as another major diplomatic victory, Iran’s cautious response suggests the deal may not yet be as certain as the US President has claimed.