Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the United States and Iran have agreed to a framework for a peace deal that would end the months-long conflict in the Middle East, with a final text of the deal reached.
Pakistan is now preparing for an electronic signing expected within the next 24 hours followed by technical-level talks next week, Sharif added.
Sharif said Pakistan was now preparing for the signing process, after which technical-level negotiations would begin next week to work out details of the agreement, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
If finalised, the deal could mark the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the conflict erupted in February, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies, and easing fears of a wider regional war that has rattled oil markets and disrupted shipping.
Speaking on Saturday, Sharif said Washington and Tehran had reached a final text for the initial agreement.
“An electronic signing is expected within the next 24 hours,” he said, adding that Pakistan had remained engaged in efforts to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.
Previous announcements of imminent breakthroughs have failed to materialise, however, and neither the White House nor Iran’s leadership immediately confirmed Sharif’s timeline.
According to a senior US administration official who briefed reporters on Friday, the emerging agreement would focus first on ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, before addressing more contentious issues.
The official said 60 days following the signing would be used to negotiate technical aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme, including the removal or destruction of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated that nuclear issues would be finalised during a subsequent negotiation phase and said the timeline could be extended if necessary.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A key component of the proposed agreement involves restoring normal transit through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.
The conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the waterway, driving up fuel prices and fuelling concerns over global inflation.
The US official said the deal includes provisions to reopen the strait, while Araghchi said Tehran wanted arrangements allowing Iran to levy charges for “services rendered” to vessels transiting the route — a position Washington and several other countries argue contravenes international maritime norms.
Regional officials familiar with the negotiations told reporters that the agreement is also expected to include phased sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said a formal signing ceremony could take place in the coming days once both governments approve the final text.
However, competing public accounts from Washington and Tehran suggest that some of the most politically sensitive details remain unresolved.
--Agencies
