The United States and Iran have agreed on the formulation of a deal to end their war, according to Pakistani Prime Minister | Columbia Basin

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister said Friday that the United States and Iran have agreed to formulate a deal to end their war in the Middle East and that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the United States and Iran had reached an “agreed final text.” He said Pakistan, which has taken the lead in mediation efforts, was working with the warring countries on next steps.

“Peace has never been closer than today,” Sharif said in a message on X.

The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran exchanged fire with the United States and Israel for three days this week, threatening to return the Middle East to full-scale war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that a deal “has never been closer” in a post on XUS. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said in recent weeks that the countries were close to reaching an agreement, shared Araghchi’s message on his own social media.

The war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 has shaken the Middle East and virtually halted shipments of oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since April 7.

Iranian official says nuclear details will follow deal to end war

Araghchi told Iranian state television on Friday that the two sides were working to sign a first agreement declaring an end to the war “on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

Israel has been fighting the Hezbollah militia, allied with Iran, in Lebanon since the beginning of March. Israel is not a party to the U.S.-Iran negotiations, and its leaders have said they have no plans to withdraw from Lebanon.

Araghchi said conditions relating to Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized within 60 days of signing the initial agreement. He added that the parties could agree to extend this period.

Iran’s nuclear program is a key point of division. The United States and Israel fear this could lead to an atomic weapon – one of the main reasons their leaders give for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.

A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity in line with ground rules set by the White House, said Friday that the pending deal would begin the process of destroying or removing Tehran’s highly enriched uranium.

The official said the 60-day period after the two sides signed the deal would be used to work out the technical details of withdrawing enriched uranium from Iran. The official did not say who the United States thinks would take charge of removing the uranium, which would be buried beneath three nuclear sites that were hit by U.S. strikes last year.

Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas, is also crucial. The disruption to transit through the strait has reduced global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basic goods more expensive far beyond the region.

The U.S. official said the emerging deal included provisions on reopening the strait.

Araghchi said Iran wanted a deal that would allow Tehran to charge ships “for services rendered” when they transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iran imposed a toll system during the war, which the United States and other countries say violates international law.

“There will be costs,” Araghchi said, “and those costs must be paid.”

US Central Command said in a social media post late Friday that it had intercepted several Iranian attack drones that were targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials say deal could be signed in coming days

Three regional officials said the emerging deal should also include the gradual lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

They said they expected a signing ceremony for the deal in the coming days, after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.

Trump claimed significant progress in negotiations on Thursday, just hours after threatening to step up attacks and seize Iran’s oil industry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was not a party to the deal being negotiated. He said in a statement Friday that he and Trump were “in full agreement” that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that Israel also expects Trump to defend key Israeli interests, including weakening Iran’s missile program and its proxy network.

Katz warned that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not withdraw from areas it occupies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor from refugee camps in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The deal was largely negotiated by Pakistan, led by its army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, regional officials said, with support from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.

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