Momentum for a deal to end the Iran war appeared to grow Saturday as key mediator Pakistan said an agreement was closer than “ever before” and US President Donald Trump was expected to discuss demining the Strait of Hormuz during next week’s Group of Seven summit.
A senior US official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity on ground rules set by the White House, said Trump also planned to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit that starts Monday with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the war.
Britain and France, both G7 members, have expressed interest in assisting with demining the critical waterway once the conflict is paused. The official noted that both already have some military vessels at sea that could participate in the demining process.
It was not immediately clear how many mines are in the strait that Iran has effectively controlled since shortly after the war began, virtually shutting down oil and natural gas shipments from the Gulf. The US blockaded Iranian ports in response. A tenuous ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
Deal imminent
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a deal aimed at ending the war was expected to be finalized within 24 hours. Pakistan was preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.
The senior US official noted the Sharif's upbeat comments. The US believes what’s on the table for Iran is a “very strong deal,” the official said, but declined to speculate on when it could be signed.
Iran signaled caution.
“Although it will not happen tomorrow, the possibility that it could take place in the coming days cannot be ruled out,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement carried by state TV.
Baghaei added that the Islamabad memorandum under discussion was focused on ending the war and "at this stage, it has been decided that there will be no discussion of the nuclear issue.”
Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium have long been at the center of tensions with the US and Israel and an international source of concern.
Three regional officials, said Friday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, that they expected a signing ceremony in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve the agreement.
The apparent breakthrough came after Iran exchanged fire with the US and Israel earlier in the week, threatening to rupture a fragile ceasefire and push the Middle East back into full-scale war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Friday that an agreement “has never been closer.” Trump, who has asserted multiple times in recent weeks the countries were on the cusp of a deal, shared Araghchi’s post on social media.
Trump on Thursday claimed significant progress in negotiations, hours after he threatened to seize Iran’s oil industry.
