Donald Trump stated yesterday that the U.S. will sign an agreement with Iran today to end the war in the Middle East and predicted the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a date that has not yet been confirmed by Tehran, however, at this stage.
Following a week marked by new attacks between the Islamic Republic, on the one hand, and the U.S. and Israel on the other, raising fears of a new regional flare-up, the two countries have hinted that they have made significant progress toward a compromise.
However, reports from both sides regarding a possible initial agreement —which would pave the way for technical-level negotiations—continue to show discrepancies, while the timeline itself remains unclear.
Pakistani President Shehbaz Sharif, whose country is acting as a mediator in the conflict, stated yesterday in a post on X that he expects the agreement to be “finalized” “in the next 24 hours” and that he is preparing for its “electronic signature” (without clarifying exactly what that would entail) ahead of “technical talks” next week.
The U.S. President, who has already announced many times that an agreement is imminent without it ever materializing, went on to state that the signing “is scheduled” for today, the day of his 80th birthday.
“Once signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be OPEN TO ALL,” the U.S. President wrote yesterday in a post on Truth Social, adding that the Iranians “no longer want a nuclear weapon.”
Iranian diplomats, for their part, referred to an agreement “in the coming days,” but not today, according to the state news agency Irna.
Some of the concessions that have been reported have drawn a reaction from conservative leaders. Last night, an Iranian news agency released a video showing dozens of protesters chanting slogans against Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
TRUMP-STARMER COMMUNICATION
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for his part, welcomed Trump’s latest effort to end the war in Iran. In a phone call with the U.S. President yesterday afternoon, Starmer stated that Britain is ready to support the peace efforts.
“The Prime Minister expressed his support for President Trump’s efforts to end the conflict with Iran, welcoming the progress made and stressing that it is important to ensure that any agreement brings about a sustainable peace,” a spokesperson for Starmer said. “The two leaders agreed that freedom of navigation must be restored in order to mitigate the economic impact caused internationally,” he added.
