US President Donald Trump announced that Washington and Tehran would sign a peace deal on Sunday to end fighting and initiate a negotiations process.
Trump’s announcement was supported by Pakistan – the primary mediator – which said a virtual signing ceremony would take place Sunday. However, Iran questioned the timing as protesters voiced opposition to the proposed deal.
Sunday Signing
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed the next day, coinciding with his 80th birthday. Following the signing, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen to all.
“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” he wrote.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced that the signing of the deal would take place on Sunday. “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalization 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 posted on X.
Iranian Doubt
Iran, for its part, declined to set a specific time for signing the deal. Speaking prior to Trump’s post, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that both sides have inched closer to signing an initial agreement in the coming days, according to Iranian media.
“We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” he said, adding that the Iranians “have no plans for trips to Geneva or other places for the next two days.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied that the signing would take place on Sunday, criticizing Trump‘s insistence on making the announcement despite “Iranian negotiators explicitly stating that the memorandum has not yet been finalized and that signing on Sunday is definitely not happening.”
Proposed Deal
Although the terms of the deal have not been made public yet, sources told Reuters that the proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU) calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iran.
“Iran is going to open up the Strait of Hormuz, that’s a requirement. It could be open with no tolls. As they do that, we will lift our blockade,” a US official said.
It would initiate a 60-day period for technical negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, with Washington aiming for the dismantling of the nuclear program and the destruction and removal of the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
In his post, Trump said that the US would “go in and get the Nuclear Dust” and destroy it whether in Iran or the US. “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 added.
However, Iran has not accepted the dismantling of its nuclear program, seeking to retain the uranium in diluted form.
Furthermore, the US would lift sanctions on Iranian oil exports and release billions in frozen assets. In exchange, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that spokesperson Baghaei emphasized asset release as a core requirement, adding that Iran intends to charge service fees in the strait. Baghaei also asserted, without offering specific details, that foreign military bases must exit the region.
Protests in Iran
Following a televised interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in which he discussed the imminent deal between the US and Iran, opponents of the agreement gathered in squares across Iran and in front of the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, calling for his resignation.
Protesters chanted “Death to the compromiser,” “Compromiser, resign, resign,” and “Shame on you, Araghchi, let go of America!” blaming the Foreign Minister for the deal.
