Trump Says US-Iran Deal Signs Sunday; Tehran Disputes
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump posted on Truth Social that the US-Iran deal is scheduled to be signed Sunday and the Strait of Hormuz would be "OPEN TO ALL" immediately after, adding the US would later "go in and get the Nuclear Dust" — enriched uranium to be destroyed — and warning of "the ultimate alternative" if things don't work smoothly.
- Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei cast doubt on the timing, stating the signing "will not be tomorrow [Sunday]" and that "we will have to wait and see about the exact date of the memorandum of understanding."
- Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif said peace is "closer than ever" and that Pakistan, a key mediator, is "preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal" within 24 hours, followed by technical-level talks next week.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the deal envisages an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with talks on Iran's nuclear programme to begin later — a linkage that had reportedly been a sticking point in earlier rounds.
- A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday, though it was unclear whether the visit would affect Iran's expected signature; Qatar has also mediated in the talks.
- Israel, which is not part of the US-Iran deal and insists on continuing strikes on Hezbollah, issued evacuation orders for 29 villages in southern Lebanon on Sunday, citing a Hezbollah ceasefire violation after two suspected drones hit a military zone in northern Israel.
Why it matters: If signed, the deal would end a war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint for global oil and LNG shipments — and tie in a cessation of Israel-Hezbollah fighting, a linkage Iran has reportedly insisted on but Israel has rejected operating under. Iran's public contradiction of Trump's Sunday timeline, combined with the article's own note that "variations of an agreement have been expected several times but have not been completed," makes the actual signing far from certain despite Pakistan's confidence and Trump's Truth Social announcement.
