The United States and Iran are close to reaching a deal to end the war in the Middle East. A regional official said significant progress had been made in the negotiations.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — The United States and Iran are on the verge of reaching an end to their deal middle east warA regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation effort said on Saturday that the United States was weighing a new round of attacks on the islamic republic.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door deliberations, said the two sides had made “significant progress” in talks but warned that “last-minute disputes” could derail efforts to negotiate. This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that a deal has been called close.
He said a potential deal would include a formal declaration of the end of the war and two months of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. this Strait of Hormuz will reopen and the United States will end its blockade of Iranian ports. He gave no details.
Earlier, two regional officials and a diplomat expressed hope that both sides would make a final decision on the draft prepared by Pakistan within 48 hours during the review process. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, Iran says it is “narrowing differences” Negotiations with the United States After more talks between Pakistan’s army chiefs in Tehran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Indian reporters that “some progress has been made” and “there may be news later today”.
President of the United States Donald Trump The proposal to extend the ceasefire for 60 days has been hearing a range of opinions, according to a person familiar with the latest deliberations between the White House and Middle East allies. Regional players are divided over whether an extension is a good idea, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump stayed out of sight on Saturday and remained largely silent on social media.
Both Iran and the United States have emphasized their key positions and warned of the risk of resuming attacks and undermining the ceasefire. Rubio reiterated the U.S. position that Iran can never possess nuclear weapons, must hand over highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz must be opened.
Iran calls it ‘framework deal’ for more talks
Iranian state television quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying the draft was a “framework agreement,” adding: “We hope it will include the main issues needed to end the imposed war and other issues that are crucial to us. Then, within a reasonable time of 30 to 60 days, the details will be discussed and a final agreement will be reached.”
He said the Strait of Hormuz was one of the topics discussed.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA quoted Baqai as saying that the two sides’ positions had become closer in recent days.
“The trend over the past week has been to narrow the differences,” he said. “We’re going to have to wait and see what happens in the next three or four days.”
Baghayi said the nuclear issue was not part of the current negotiations because Tehran first sought an end to the war and would discuss its issues later. nuclear program This has long been at the heart of international tensions.
“Our focus at this stage is to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “is clearly included in the text and remains our fixed position.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah Al-Manar TV reported that Lebanese militant group leader Naeem Qasim received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that Tehran would not abandon its allies. There is a kind of vulnerability, U.S.-brokered ceasefire In the Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, the conflict began two days after the war with Iran broke out.
Limiting Tehran’s support for armed proxies in the region and targeting its ballistic missile program have been stated goals of the war.
Mohammad Bagher Qalabaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, is the chief negotiator on the deal. Historic face-to-face talks Last month’s meeting with the U.S. in Islamabad Iran rebuilds its military assets If Trump resumes his attacks, the results will be “even more devastating and painful” than when the war began.
State television said he made the remarks after meeting Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, who also met with Araghchi, President Masood Pezeshkian and other senior officials. Qatar sent a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan’s efforts.
Trump has said “serious negotiations” are underway
Trump earlier said he procrastination The United States launched military strikes against Iran as “serious negotiations” were ongoing and at the request of its Middle East allies. Trump has Repeatedly set deadlines Head to Tehran and then retreat.
The February 28 attack by the United States and Israel triggered the war and interrupted brief nuclear negotiations with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, the region’s main waterway for oil, gas and fertilizers, causing global economic pain.
America at that time blocked Iranian port. U.S. Central Command said on Saturday that the U.S. military has turned away more than 100 commercial ships and disabled four merchant ships since the blockade began on April 13.
Magdy reported from Cairo, and Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
