• Shehbaz says Islamabad working closely with Washington and Tehran to ‘finalise next steps’
• Relevant institutions in ‘final stages of summarising’ MoU text, says Tehran
• Araghchi hopes war on all fronts will end, deal to be signed ‘digitally within days’
• US official claims deal specific to nuclear material and Hormuz; both sides ‘like’ agreed text
• Swiss ministry says Geneva to host possible signing

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said a “final agreed upon text of the peace deal” had been reached between the United States and Iran, and efforts were underway to “finalise the next steps”.

The statement by the PM came a day after the US president called off strikes on Iran following two days of fighting between the two countries, raising fears of fresh escalation in the Middle East.

“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 finalise the next steps,” the PM said in a post on X. “Peace has never been this close as it is now,” he added.

In an interview with the state television on Friday night, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the deal was likely to be signed within a few days. “As soon as the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced. The signing will initially take place digitally. Each side will sign remotely. After that, it will be announced that this memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties,” said Mr Araghchi.

He said the deal would entail the end of war on all fronts, including Lebanon, which meant the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied areas. He, however, said the details of the framework would be announced once their consultations were completed to avert risks “jeopardising the signing of the deal”.

“This could happen in the coming days. I am very hopeful.” Mr Araghchi had earlier said that a framework dubbed the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” aimed at ending the war “has never been closer”.

He said the draft deal included ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, in place since April 13, and arrangements on managing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The naval blockade must be completely lifted. That is the first point mentioned in the agreement,” he said. “Iran has made a firm decision that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before,” he noted, adding that discussions were ongoing with Oman on the matter. He confirmed that details of Iran’s nuclear programme including its stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be discussed during a 60-day period following the signing of the framework. “Our position has always been that the only way to deal with the stockpile of enriched material is to dilute it inside Iran,” he added. “Iran is the winner of the war with the US,” he said, adding that changes in the draft could not be ruled out.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump rejected reports about the terms of a possible deal with Iran, asserting that they had “nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing”. “What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Also, their totally rebuffed drone attack last night against Indian ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is totally unacceptable,” he stated, adding that Tehran needed to “get their act together, and fast”. Earlier, Iran’s Mehr news agency said a draft deal with the United States which would, if adopted, secure the release of $24 billion in frozen assets within a 60-day period, AFP reported.

The speculations referred to by the US and Iranian officials as well as the PM were the media reports that claimed that the agreement favoured Iran. According to Reuters, leaked terms of the proposed memorandum of understanding appeared to favour Iran, drawing criticism from US President Donald Trump, who dismissed the reports as inaccurate.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted a senior US administration official saying that a text was in place that both sides liked. The official said the deal was specific about opening the strait and the removal of enriched nuclear material. The official said Iran would receive significant sanctions relief based on how they perform under any deal. “The United States and Iran are not quite at the finish line, but are very close to a deal to resolve their conflict,” Reuters reported citing the senior US official. “The negotiating team has got us in a very good spot, but let’s see here, we’re not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close,” the US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Another US official quoted by AFP said the proposed deal will also include Lebanon. “It includes Lebanon, it includes Iran, it includes the Gulf Coast countries, and includes Israel,” the senior administration official told reporters on a call.

Geneva offers to host

Earlier, Switzerland offered to host the possible signing of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry told AFP. “Switzerland is fully engaged. We are in close contact with the United States and Iran,” the ministry said in a brief message sent to AFP.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, where the two top diplomats exchanged views on the regional situation and welcomed the “encouraging progress” toward an agreement between the United States and Iran.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026