US-Iran peace deal signing in doubt as Tehran rejects Sunday timeline
Donald Trump and Pakistan said a draft deal to end the Middle East war could be signed on Sunday, but Iran said the timing remained uncertain, Reuters reported.
US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan said an initial agreement to end the war in the Middle East was expected to be signed on Sunday, but Iran said the signing would not happen so soon, Reuters reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing, followed by technical talks next week. Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would be immediately “open to all” once the deal was signed.
Iran urges caution over timing
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the memorandum would not be signed on Sunday, while leaving open the possibility of progress in the coming days. A US official declined to confirm the timing but described the proposal as “a great deal and a very strong deal”, according to Reuters.
Strait of Hormuz central to draft pact
The proposed memorandum would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, with later talks expected on Iran’s nuclear programme. Draft terms described to Reuters include the release of frozen Iranian assets and sanctions waivers on oil exports in return for Iran reopening the waterway.
Protests and Israeli opposition
Reuters said some protesters in Iran opposed to a deal chanted against Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, while Israel said it would not be party to the memorandum. Israeli officials also signalled they wanted to retain freedom to act against perceived threats.
Iranian state media also reported that the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with burial in Mashhad on July 9, Reuters said.
