Key facts
- Pakistan will host an electronic signing ceremony for a US-Iran peace deal via video on Sunday.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry stated its delegation has no plans to visit Geneva or other locations.
- Iran previously indicated the memorandum signing would not take place on Sunday.
- The proposed deal reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting US port blockades.
- Terms suggest the US would release frozen Iranian assets and waive oil sanctions.
- Negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program are scheduled to occur after the initial deal.
Pakistan announced it will host an electronic signing ceremony via video on Sunday for a US-Iran peace deal, a development that conflicts with earlier statements from Iran's Foreign Ministry. Iran had indicated the memorandum of understanding would not be signed on Sunday, though it suggested a signing could occur in the coming days. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has since stated that its delegation has no recent travel plans and is not planning to visit Geneva or other locations.
Both the US and Iran had signaled on Friday that an agreement to end the three-month war was close. A US administration official confirmed that both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington anticipated signing an initial deal in the coming days. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had stated that the two nations had agreed on a framework and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing, to be followed by technical talks next week.
The proposed memorandum of understanding reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Draft terms suggest the US would release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports in return for Iran opening the strait. Negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program are scheduled to take place afterward, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi indicated that Iran wished to retain its uranium in diluted form, disputing US accounts of dismantling the program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would not be a party to the agreement, despite clashes with President Trump over US demands for Israel to curb military action in Lebanon. Araqchi suggested the agreement would end the war in Lebanon, implying an Israeli withdrawal, a move Israel's defense minister indicated would not occur. Muhanad Seloom, assistant professor of international politics and security at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, stated that the US is insisting on separating Lebanon from the memorandum of understanding, but Iran has made its stance clear. Seloom believes Iran's bombing of Israel in response to Israeli forces' actions in Lebanon was a clear message to both Washington and Tel Aviv. However, he added that Israelis will not abide even if they come under pressure from the US to stop their attacks on Lebanon.