The nuclear issue between Iran and the United States (US) has been deferred to the final agreement of a two-stage negotiation process, Iranian Foreign Minister (FM) Abbas Araghchi has said.
Tasnim news agency quoted Araghchi as saying that US’s nuclear demands at this stage were in no way acceptable to Tehran. “The text of the understanding has so far been changed in many rounds,” he added.
Alongside the nuclear negotiations, Araghchi announced that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz will not return to the pre-war era, confirming that fees for services will now be collected.
“We are dealing with entities in America that do not fulfil their commitments; we must close the path of their breach of promise,” he stated.
Following these administrative declarations, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Iranian navy fired upon vessels attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz without receiving permission from Iranian authorities.
Ahead of the anticipated agreement, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf addressed the negotiations on X, writing that “commitments made must be commitments kept”.
“No ifs, no buts, no excuses. For the close deal ahead, there is no other way. You reap what you sow,” he added.
In a separate development, US Central Command (Centcom) announced on X that US forces downed several Iranian one-way attack drones attempting to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Centcom stated that the waterway “remains open for transit”.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also addressed the status of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), saying that relevant institutions were in the “final stages of summarising the text of the memorandum of understanding (MoU)”.
Baghaei declined to specify the timing or location of the signing, noting that authorities must wait for the “final decision to be made internally”.
According to a senior US administration official, the proposed peace deal to end the Middle East war extends beyond the two primary nations. The official told reporters on a call that the agreement “includes Lebanon, it includes Iran, it includes the Gulf Coast countries, and includes Israel”.
The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed it has offered to host the signing of the peace agreement, stating it is “fully engaged” and in close contact with both Washington and Tehran to “consolidate the truce and pave the way for de-escalation”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif stated Friday that the “final, agreed upon text” of the peace deal has been reached through Pakistani mediation.
“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal. Setting aside the noise, we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now,” he posted on X.
Araghchi mirrored this statement, posting that “The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer”.
He also requested that the media “refrain from entering speculation about its content”, adding that “all details will be shared with the public in due course”.
US President Donald Trump reposted Araghchi’s statement on Truth Social, calling it “very positive”.
In a phone call with Axios, Trump stated he believes a deal could be signed over the weekend or on Monday.
