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Sunday signing push
President Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran will be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz will immediately be reopened.
“Trump calls off latest threats to strike Iran, citing a breakthrough in talks to end the war Trump calls off latest threats to strike Iran, citing a breakthrough in talks to end the war DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U”
CNN reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied plans for a Sunday signing, criticizing Trump’s “unusual insistence” on that day and saying a framework “has not yet been finalized.”
CBS News said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif touted finalization of a deal between the U.S. and Iran was “likely expected in the next 24 hours,” while Iran’s foreign ministry later said the deal would likely not be signed Sunday.
CBS News also said the U.S. shot down several Iranian attack drones in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday, with President Trump responding that it was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”
Virtual signing and talks
CNN said officials planned for a virtual signing because meeting in person presented logistical challenges and more potential for the process to get derailed, and it described the memorandum of understanding as kicking off a new 60-day period of negotiations.
CNN also reported that Iranian descriptions of the terms differed from some details released by the U.S., including on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program, regional proxy groups and frozen Iranian funds.
The Guardian said Trump claimed the deal would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and would reopen the strait of Hormuz to international shipping, adding in a Truth Social post that “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow.”
The Guardian further said Shehbaz Sharif wrote on social media that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours to be followed by technical-level talks next week, while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei counseled caution that it would not be tomorrow.
Stakes across the region
The BBC said Israel carried out air strikes in the south of Lebanon after ordering people to leave about 20 locations, as it described the parallel diplomacy over a U.S.-Iran deal mediated by Pakistan.
“What to know about the Iran war today: - President Trump said the memorandum of understanding between the U”
The BBC quoted Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying the deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a US blockade of Iran, while also saying talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin later.
NBC News said CENTCOM wrote on X that “Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” and that U.S. forces had downed all of them in recent hours.
AP said Trump called off new military strikes on Iran on Thursday, claiming a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war, after he had threatened to escalate by seizing control of Iran’s oil industry and then later said “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.”
