Munir Ahmed, Collin Binkley and Russ Bynum
Islamabad: The United States and Iran are close to signing an agreement aimed at ending their war, three regional officials told The Associated Press on Friday. A senior US official said the interim agreement included provisions to remove and destroy nuclear material from Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Friday on X that an agreement “has never been closer.” He did not give any details, saying the final plan was still pending. US President Donald Trump shared Araghchi’s post on his social network.
The apparent breakthrough in talks comes after Iran exchanged fire with the US and Israel for three days this week, threatening to return the Middle East to full-scale war.
Trump has said many times in recent weeks that those countries were on the deal. The war started by the US and Israel on February 28 has engulfed the Middle East region and almost shut down the export of oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. A tenuous ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
Local officials said the emerging agreement is expected to pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the gradual lifting of sanctions against Iran, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, declined to discuss further details.
A senior US official said key terms in the emerging deal include the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear material and the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear program. The conditions also include Iran agreeing not to sponsor terrorist groups, the official said.
The US official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details about the sensitive talks.
Underscoring the fragility of the talks, Trump on Friday blasted Iranian officials on social media and said: “They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Iran’s nuclear program has been a major point of division. The US and Israel fear it could lead to an atomic weapon – the main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.
Also important is Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route for oil and natural gas. Disruption to transportation through the strait has reduced global energy supplies, increased fuel prices and made food and other basic goods more expensive outside the region.
The United States has responded since mid-April by blocking Iranian ports at sea to block Iran’s own oil exports.
Regional officials said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.
“This agreement has the potential to reform the region and lead to lasting peace,” US Vice President JD Vance said Friday in a social media post, without giving details.
Trump on Thursday he demanded significant progress in negotiations to extend the ceasefirejust a few hours after threatening to escalate attacks and seize Iran’s oil industry. Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on state television that negotiators were active and the text of the agreement “has been completed.”
There was no immediate comment Friday from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, which has been leading efforts to broker a deal between the United States and Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Thursday that Pakistan remained engaged in the talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel was not part of the negotiated agreement. He said in a statement Friday that he and Trump were in “complete agreement” that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement that Israel also expects Trump to uphold key Israeli interests, including undermining Iran’s missile program and proxy network.
Katz warned that Israel can still act freely against Iran and that the country will not withdraw from the territories it occupies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor will it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Iran has insisted that any ceasefire agreement must also end fighting in Lebanon between its militant ally Hezbollah and Israel. Netanyahu seems intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group, thus complicating negotiations between Iran and the United States.
The agreement was largely brokered by Pakistan, led by its army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, local officials said, with the support of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.
AP
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