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Signing Timeline Clash
US President Donald Trump said a US-Iran deal is “scheduled to get signed tomorrow” and that “immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” as he framed the Strait of Hormuz reopening as a direct result of the agreement.
“United States President Donald Trump has said an initial agreement to end the US-Israeli war with Iran is “scheduled to get signed tomorrow””
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cast doubt on the timing, saying: “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow.”
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the US and Iran were “closer to a peace deal than ever before,” and wrote that finalisation was expected in the next 24 hours with “preparing for the electronic signing”.
CNN reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied plans for a Sunday signing, saying a framework “has not yet been finalized” and criticizing Trump’s “unusual insistence” on that day.
Nuclear Dust and Negotiations
Trump also tied the deal to enriched uranium, writing that “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust,” and adding it would later be destroyed.
The Guardian reported that Trump claimed the deal would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and said in a Truth Social post that Iran “no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one, either through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement”.
CNN said the memorandum of understanding would kick off a new 60-day period of negotiations on how to implement the framework and resolve remaining sticking points, with a US official describing the start of that 60-day period if the MoU is signed.
TRT World reported that US officials said Iran agreed to dismantle nuclear programme, while Iran said agreement unlikely on Sunday, and it also described a Switzerland meeting as part of ongoing negotiations later this week.
What’s at Stake Next
The dispute over timing and terms comes as the US and Iran have exchanged intermittent fire despite a ceasefire in April, and the BBC said the war began with US and Israeli strikes across Iran on 28 February.
“President Donald Trump on Saturday said that an agreement to end the war with Iran will be signed on Sunday, followed by the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Iranian state media reported that the country remained cautious about the timing”
The Guardian reported that the proposed deal calls for reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, while negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program would take place afterwards, and it described competing claims about frozen assets and sanctions relief.
CNN said officials were planning for a virtual signing because meeting in person presented logistical challenges and potential for the process to get derailed during any delays, with sources describing the shift to an electronic signing.
Al Jazeera reported that Trump’s announcement contradicted Baghaei’s earlier statement that the memorandum of understanding would not be signed on Sunday, while it also noted that Sunday marks Trump’s 80th birthday and that no terms had been officially released.
