U.S. President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan said on Saturday an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, although Iran denied the signing would take place so soon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.
Trump also said in a social media post that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies which Iran has blocked, would be immediately "open to all" after it was signed.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing the signing.
"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," state media quoted Baghaei as saying.
"The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out. However, due to the hesitation of the other side, we must be cautious in making any comments about this process."
A U.S. official who spoke to reporters later declined to be drawn on the timing but said: "It's a great deal and a very strong deal."
It is not the first time the two sides have appeared close to an initial agreement on ending the war that began on February 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, but Sharif said on X: "We are closer to a peace deal than ever before."
The war has sent global energy prices sharply higher and killed thousands of people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, where the war has revived a conflict between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants.
What is in the deal?
The proposed memorandum of understanding calls for reopening the strait and lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, sources on all sides of the talks said. Negotiations over Iran's nuclear program - Trump's stated rationale for starting the war - would take place afterwards.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters on Friday that the deal met Trump's core objectives and put negotiations "in a very, very good place".
Iran's nuclear program would be addressed during a 60-day period of talks. The U.S. official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.
Israel not party to memorandum
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would not be party to the agreement. He has clashed with Trump over U.S. demands that Israel curb military action in Lebanon to allow Washington to reach a deal with Tehran.