Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said a peace agreement between the United States and Iran could be finalised within the next 24 hours. However, Iran later said that while a deal could be signed in the coming days, no timeline has been finalised and the proposed agreement will not be signed on Saturday.
In a post on X, Sharif said the two sides were closer than ever to reaching an agreement. He added that once the deal is finalised, it could be signed electronically, followed by technical discussions next week.
Sharif thanked both the US and Iran for continuing negotiations and also acknowledged the support of regional countries involved in the process. He expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for long-term peace and stability in the region.
The Pakistani leader tagged US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in his post. However, neither the White House nor Iranian officials immediately confirmed Sharif's claim that the agreement could be finalised within 24 hours.
His comments came a day after he said Washington and Tehran had agreed on the text of the proposed peace deal and that Pakistan was helping both sides complete the remaining steps.
On Friday, Sharif said a final text had been agreed upon and Pakistan was working closely with both countries to move the process forward.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also indicated that talks were moving in a positive direction. He said the proposed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was closer to completion than ever before.
"Pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course," Araghchi said in a social media post.
Iranian officials have suggested that an agreement is near, but have also maintained that the memorandum remains under review.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the possibility of the United States and Iran signing the proposed Islamabad Memorandum in the coming days could not be ruled out. However, he clarified that the agreement would not be signed on Saturday and that discussions were continuing.
Baghaei said the exact timing of the signing had yet to be finalised, even as optimism grows that a broader US-Iran agreement may be nearing completion.
Trump said on Friday that the US was close to reaching a deal with Iran and that a memorandum of understanding could be signed within days.
Also read: US and Iran trade accusations but remain hopeful of peace deal
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