Washington/Islamabad, Jun 13 (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Saturday said a deal to end the war with Iran would be signed on Sunday and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be “open to all” immediately afterwards.
Trump’s comments came hours after Pakistan indicated that the United States and Iran were in the final stage of negotiations and that an electronic signing ceremony for the agreement was scheduled for Sunday. However, there is no immediate comment from Iran on the reported timeline.
“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, signalling what could be a major diplomatic breakthrough after months of conflict and negotiations.
At the same time, Trump kept the threat of fresh attacks dangling if the deal failed to pan out as expected.
“We look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future. Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again,” he said.
The US president also contrasted the proposed agreement with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under former US president Barack Obama.
“Barack Hussein Obama’s Deal with Iran, the JCPOA, was an easy, beautiful, smooth road to a Nuclear Weapon, which Iran would have had six years ago, and would have used long before now.
“My Agreement with Iran is the exact opposite, A WALL TO NO NUCLEAR WEAPON! In fact, they no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one, either through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement,” he said.
Trump further claimed that Iran’s nuclear programme had been effectively neutralised and said the remaining nuclear material would be disposed of at a later stage.
“At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 Bombers and their brilliant pilots, and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States,” he said.
Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a US-Iran peace deal could be finalised within the next 24 hours, as Islamabad indicated that an electronic signing ceremony was expected on Sunday.
The indication came in a statement issued on Saturday by the Foreign Office after a telephonic conversation between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
“They welcomed the US-Iran negotiations in their final stage, with the electronic signing ceremony scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday), and expressed the hope that this important development will contribute to lasting peace and stability in the region,” it said.
The Saudi foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s “consistent and sustained efforts” in support of mediation and dialogue throughout the process, the statement said.
The two leaders also discussed the forthcoming Regional Four Foreign Ministers (R-4) meeting, scheduled to be held in Egypt later this month.
“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week,” Sharif said in a social media post.
He thanked the United States and Iran for their “ongoing commitment” during the negotiations and expressed appreciation for support from countries in the region.
“We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” he said in the post in which he tagged US President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
On Friday, Araghchi had suggested progress in the negotiations, saying the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer”.
“Pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,” Araghchi had said in a social media post.
The conflict, which began on February 28, has rattled global markets, tested regional alliances and intensified diplomatic efforts to secure a negotiated settlement.
Sharif on Saturday also spoke with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, during which he expressed appreciation for Qatar’s “strong and steadfast support” for Pakistan’s peace efforts and said a peace deal was “ready for signatures by the relevant parties very shortly”, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement said the Qatari leader praised Pakistan’s role in advancing diplomatic efforts. Both leaders expressed hope that the initiative would contribute to lasting peace in the region and agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days, it said.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also had separate phone calls with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Egypt Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Dar discussed with the four leaders the progress in the ongoing US-Iran engagement, with all sides expressing hope that the diplomatic efforts would contribute to “lasting peace and stability in the region”, according to social media posts by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the US-Iran negotiations, facilitating contacts between Washington and Tehran and hosting diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
Days after a fragile ceasefire was established in April, Islamabad hosted the first round of peace talks. It was attended by senior officials from both sides but they failed to clinch a deal. PTI SKU/SH ABD SCY SCY
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
