US President Donald Trump has said that an agreement with Iran has been “largely negotiated” and is to be finalised soon.
Mr Trump, in a Truth Social post on Saturday, said the deal would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz but provided no further details.
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This is coming after 85 days of tension and violent attacks caused by the US-Israel attack on Iran on 28 February, which would eventually engulf the whole of the Middle East, with Iran and Lebanon as the most affected countries. It led to the death of thousands of people and the displacement of even more.
Talks between the countries at war have been ongoing since the ceasefire agreement in April, but without much success, as the disagreement over the control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s uranium enrichment created friction.
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According to Mr Trump, the agreement was reached during a conference call that also involved the presidents of Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and Iran. The negotiations involved regional countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which pushed for a deal, with Pakistan as the main mediator.
“I am in the Oval Office at the White House, where we just had a very good call…an agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and other Countries,” he wrote in his post.
Although he did not provide the details on the deal, he, however, insisted that any agreement with Iran would prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly.”
He also stated that he had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which “went very well”.
Axios, an American publication, reported that the agreement is likely to involve a 60-day cease-fire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened without tolls.
Iran would also operate freely, and negotiations would be held on the suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. The US would also issue a sanction waiver and remove the blockade on Iranian ports.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the call with Mr Trump and Arab leaders as “very useful and productive” and noted that Iran and the US talks could take place “very soon.”
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The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, had previously disclosed that the US and Iranian positions had been converging over the last week. But he insisted that this does not mean agreements would be reached on key issues.
In a post on X, the Pakistani leader said, “I congratulate President Donald Trump on his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace.”
“We hope to host the next round of talks very soon.”
