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‘Peace has never been this close as it is now,’ Pakistan’s prime minister says as he claims ‘final text’ of peace deal has been reached
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The White House has revealed details of the deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran’s foreign minister said a peace deal with the US “has never been closer”.
A senior administration official has said the peace deal should be signed “in the next few days”, adding it “accomplishes the core objectives that the President of the United States set out for this mission”.
He said: “First, it reopens the straits and lifts the blockade. At number two, it leads to the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program.”
Swiftly after the Iranian foreign minister’s post, Pakistan’s prime minister said that the “final text” of a peace deal has been reached.
Shehbaz Sharif said Friday that a “final, agreed upon text of the peace deal” between the US and Iran has been reached.
“Peace has never been this close as it is now,” he added.
Iranian state media earlier claimed that a draft agreement between the US and Iran includes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war in Lebanon.
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the “final text” of a peace deal has been reached.
He posted on social media: “Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal.
“Setting aside the noise, we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalise the next steps.
“Peace has never been this close as it is now.”
US Senator Eric Schmitt said on Friday that president Donald Trump’s military action against Iran had weakened Tehran’s nuclear and military capabilities, creating an opportunity for negotiations that could soon yield concrete results.
Speaking on Fox News, Schmitt said he expected any eventual agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains fully open to shipping, describing both outcomes as significant achievements for the Trump administration.
“The anticipation is that you’re going to get the Strait totally opened up. I think that’ll be a relief for a lot of people in our country, and then also that they won’t have their nuclear programme,” Schmitt said.
He added that these would be “major achievements” for Trump, whom he described as a “master deal maker”.
However, the Iranian foreign minister said “pressure” over the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place indefinitely and that Iranian armed forces will intervene whenever necessary.
Iranian state media has claimed a draft agreement between the US and Iran includes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war in Lebanon.
The 14-point memorandum of understanding, which is yet to be finalised by Iranian authorities, reportedly commits Washington to lifting sanctions, withdrawing from around Iran, and ending the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
According to the semi-official Mehr news agency, the agreement would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the cancellation of oil sanctions, and the release of Iran’s frozen funds.
US Central Command said American forces have shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones launched towards commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said Iran had launched the drones in an apparent attempt to strike commercial shipping in the strategic waterway, one of the world’s most important energy and trade routes.
“Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. US forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded,” CENTCOM said.
The US military added that the “international trade corridor remains open for transit”, indicating that maritime traffic through the strait has not been disrupted despite the attempted attack.
Donald Trump’s administration has deported at least one Iranian woman who sought asylum in the U.S. to a violence-plagued African nation, according to immigration lawyers.
She was among roughly two dozen people deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Central African Republic, where the State Department tells Americans “do not travel” due to risk of “unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines, health and terrorism.”
At least three Iranian women protected by court orders — including women who converted from Islam to Christianity — were initially targeted for removal to the Central African Republic despite fear of persecution and violence in their home country in the midst of the ongoing U.S.-led war.
JD Vance has admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu has “certainly got some things wrong” in the latest sign of strain between the United States and Israel.
Speaking to Robert Costa in a preview of a CBS Sunday Morning interview, the US vice president said that the Israeli prime minister had “certainly” made mistakes in how he had approached his relationship with the US on Iran. although he refused to give any examples, saying those conversations “are better left in private.”
“But what I would say is that he’s been a good partner,” Vance said. “We’re gonna keep on working together. But where interests diverge, the United States is gonna pursue the best interests of our nation, and that’s how it’s gonna be.”
Pakistan’s prime minister said Friday the United States and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators were working with both sides to finalise a deal.
Three regional officials said the emerging deal is expected to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
A senior US administration official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said that technical details on how to remove Iran’s enriched uranium, according to the emerging memorandum of understanding, would be worked out during a 60-day period following the two sides signing off on the agreement.
Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that Israel also expects Trump to uphold key Israeli interests, including weakening Iran’s missile program and proxy network.
Katz warned that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The deal was largely being brokered by Pakistan, led by its army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, the regional officials said, with backing from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar.
Three regional officials said the emerging deal is expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
They said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.
Trump on Thursday claimed significant progress in the negotiations, just hours after he threatened to escalate attacks and seize Iran’s oil industry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is not a party to the deal being negotiated. He said in a statement Friday that he and Trump were in “full agreement” that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.
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