US and Iran Signal Peace Deal Near as Hormuz Tensions Escalate, Pakistan Claims Final Text Agreed

Trump claimed a deal could be signed in Europe over the weekend, while Iran's foreign ministry called reports of a deal 'speculative'.

Iran's Mehr news agency reported the release of $24 billion in blocked funds, while Iran's foreign ministry called the reports 'speculative'.

Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif claimed the final text of the deal was agreed upon, while the White House and Iranian authorities did not immediately react.

Pakistani PM claims Islamabad preparing for electronic signing, while Trump and Tehran trade conflicting claims Iran, the US and mediators suggested on Saturday that a preliminary peace deal could be signed within days to end the three-month war in the Middle East, though they gave differing timelines and versions of its text. Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, said on Saturday that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours to be followed by technical-level talks next week. Continue reading...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the peace deal between Iran and the United States is expected to be finalised in the next 24 hours. A day prior, PM Shehbaz said that a “final, agreed-upon” text of the peace deal between Tehran and Washington had been reached, adding that Islamabad was working “closely” with both sides to finalise the next steps of the process. “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before,” the premier said on X, adding that Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal, and technical-level talks would follow afterwards. “We would like to thank [the] United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support,” he wrote. “We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace.” More to follow

US and Iran say a deal to end the war is close, with a final text agreed but key steps still pending.

The war has produced regime change, but Iran’s new leaders are more willing to take risks and believe they have already absorbed the worst that America and Israel can deliver.

There was no immediate reaction from the White House or Iranian authorities on Mr. Shehbaz's assertion

The US and Iran have signalled an agreement to end the war is close and the US expects to sign an initial deal in the coming days.

The United States and Iran signaled that an agreement to end their war was close, with a senior US administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington expects to sign an initial deal in the coming days.

After more than three months of conflict that has shaken the Middle East, disrupted energy markets, and heightened concerns about regional stability, the United States and Iran appear to be moving closer to a possible peace agreement.

A senior administration official said the two sides were “not quite at the finish line yet.”

A senior US administration official has said the United States and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen a critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.

US president dismissed Iranian media reports agreement was close, despite earlier suggesting a deal could be signed this weekend Middle East crisis – live updates Prospects for an immediate end to the war between Iran and the US remained uncertain on Friday amid a chaotic series of conflicting claims and counter-claims by US and Iranian officials about ongoing negotiations Donald Trump seemed to distance himself from his earlier comments that suggested a preliminary agreement could be signed as soon as this weekend, with a series of angry social media posts describing the Iranians as “very dishonorable people to deal with”. Continue reading...

The US and Iran have “never been closer” to a deal on ending the war in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday, as mediator Pakistan said a final text had been agreed on. “The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” Araghchi wrote on social media, referring to the Pakistani capital which hosted previous US-Iran talks. “Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” he added, after purported...

A ceasefire took effect in April, but sporadic episodes of violence have occurred, each time sparking new fears of a return to all-out war, despite Trump repeatedly stating a deal was within reach.

Iran's foreign minister and the US president have both stated that an agreement to end the war in Iran could be imminent. Mediators in Pakistan say they are working "to finalize the next steps." DW has more.

The US president's reaction came as Iranian media reported purported details from the alleged agreement that included much of what Tehran has been demanding and the US rejecting.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments came after Iran’s Mehr news agency, citing a source close to the country’s negotiating team, claimed that the deal would see “the release of $24 billion of Iran’s blocked funds during the 60-day final negotiation period”

US President also accused Iran of trying to attack Indian ships in the Strait of Hormuz

The US and Iran have signaled possible progress toward a preliminary deal to end the war. Then the US president called Iran dishonest and accused it of misrepresenting the terms of a possible agreement. DW has more.

The US and Iran have signaled possible progress toward a preliminary deal to end the war. Then the US president called Iran dishonest and accused it of misrepresenting the terms of a possible agreement. DW has more.

Trump says a deal with Iran could be signed in Europe over the weekend. Tehran cautions against speculation.

The US and Iran may sign an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sidelines of the Group of Seven world leaders summit next week, according to senior officials. A senior Iranian official indicated overnight that a deal is likely, said a G7 official and a diplomat from outside the group, who both asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters. This year’s G7 summit takes place in Evian, in the French Alps, from June 15 to June 17. Geneva, in Switzerland, is nearby and being floated...

The United States and Iran have signaled possible progress toward a preliminary deal to end the conflict. Claims of a draft agreement have come from President Donald Trump and Iranian state-linked media. DW has more.

The United States and Iran have signaled possible progress toward a preliminary deal to end the conflict. Claims of a draft agreement have come from President Donald Trump and Iranian state-linked media. DW has more.

Iranian media reported Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying large parts of the agreement have been finalized, but Iran would not compromise on its red lines

BAHRAIN: A damaged building and vehicle are seen in the aftermath of Iranian drone attacks.—Reuters • Announcement comes after US calls off Iran attacks • Oil drops after Washington backs down • IRGC strikes Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait after US bombs targets across Iran • Tehran says American attacks have rendered ceasefire ‘practically’ meaningless • Saudis call for Pakistan, Qatar-led efforts for renewed talks • Iran ‘completely’ closes Hormuz WASHINGTON / TEH­RAN: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that would reopen shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement, if finalised, would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the three-month-old war, which has killed thousands of people and sent global energy prices sharply higher. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran is likely to approve the agreement, though it has yet to give a formal response. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said matters related to an agreement are speculation and nothing has been finalised, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” he said. Vice President JD Vance could sign for the United States, Trump added. When asked if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal, Trump said: “I understand the answer is yes.” Trump’s announcement came after he called off planned military strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks. Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal with Iran to end the war is close. The two sides have traded strikes throughout the week, straining a ceasefire announced in April. He called off planned strikes on Iran hours after threatening more bombings and a desire to “take” its oil export hub Kharg Island. That statement came after both sides attacked each other in the early hours of Thursday, putting an already-fragile ceasefire to the test. After the US attacked targets across Iran, the Iranian army responded with strikes on US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. In a statement posted on Truth Social, President Trump said, “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.” He said “discussions and final points” have been approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and others. “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalised — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added. Oil prices fell after he cancelled plans to strike Iran within hours. Brent futures fell $2.50, or 2.7pc, to $90.60 a barrel by 1838 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $2.32, or 2.6pc, to settle at $87.71 a barrel. Overnight strikes In response to the US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan and attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. “During two waves of operations, eighteen important targets belonging to the US Army in the bases of Ali and Ahmad Ahmad Air Force (were hit),” the Guards said in a statement quoted by state-run IRNA, adding that they also “hit and destroyed Sheikh Isa air bases”. The US military, meanwhile, said that it targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran”. “US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command posted on X. The Fars news agency reported that explosions have been heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, while citizens have reported hearing explosions in Kargan and Minab. Following these strikes, the US president warned of more attacks. The US will “be hitting Iran … very hard tonight”, he said, reiterating his claim that Iran’s military and “all other forms of defence” had been rendered inoperable. “At some point in the not-too-distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” he added in a post on Truth Social. Iran’s parliament speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, in an apparent warning to President Trump, said, “Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years.” “You will see a different Iran.” Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-An­biya Central Headquar­ters, also warned the United States will receive a more severe response than before. “Considering recent US threats against Iran’s oil infrastructure, either oil and gas exports are for everyone, or they will be available for no one,” the command said in a statement carried by state media, adding that the war will become more widespread and extensive, causing insecurity in the region. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the latest US strikes on the country, saying the attacks rendered the nearly two-month ceasefire “practically meaningless”. Calls for renewed talks As the situation escalated between the two countries, Saudi Arabia called for renewed negotiations under Pakistani and Qatari mediation to end the Middle East war. In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry called for “de-escalation and restraint, urging all parties to prioritise wisdom by returning to diplomatic efforts and resuming the constructive negotiations sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, along with the efforts of the State of Qatar”. Pakistan also called for a “negotiated settlement”. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pak­is­tan’s leadership would continue its mediation efforts to help end the war between the United States and Iran despite the recent escalation in the conflict. “Pakistan remains deeply concerned about the situation in the region, which has been marked by recent escalation. We are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues,” he said during his weekly press briefing. The renewed strikes also prompted calls for de-escalation from the UN chief, China, Russia, Turkiye and the EU. Closure of Hormuz Earlier in the day, Iran’s new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight, AFP reported. “Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice,” the Persian Gulf Strait Autho­rity said in a post on X. Meanwhile, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called for attacks on ships to cease, after three Indians were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf, Al Jazeera reports. Jaiswal told reporters that another ship, M/T Jalveer, was attacked by the US Navy. Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026

The US president says a "great settlement" to end the conflict has been reached. Iran says reports of a deal are "speculative".

The Tasnim news agency noted that Mr. Trump had announced a deal was imminent 38 times in the previous two months.

US President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that ⁠would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran countered that it had not reached a final decision on an agreement.

The US president also asserted that Iran's Supreme Leader had approved the proposed terms and indicated that Washington would immediately end its blockade of Iran once the agreement came into force. Trump said such a move would have a significant impact on global energy markets. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said reports of a finalised agreement with the United States were "merely speculation" .

US President Donald Trump cancelled threatened strikes and said a deal could be signed as soon as the weekend. Tehran, on the other hand, said "it has not reached a final conclusion."