Iran says peace deal with US to end war has ‘never been closer’

U.S. and Iranian negotiators are nearing the finish line of a deal aimed at ending a three-month war and the agreement could be signed in the coming days, a senior U.S. official said.

The carefully negotiated deal would include a commitment by Iran not to develop or supply nuclear weapons and would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to normal oil traffic and lift the US blockade, the official told reporters.

This would allow the release of frozen Iranian assets only based on whether Iranian leaders meet the conditions set for them, the official said.

“If we see them fulfilling their end of the bargain, that would be very good for Iran, and if we see them not fulfilling their end of the bargain, then they won’t get anything out of it,” the official said.

Iran offered a completely different perspective on the draft proposal, making few concessions to the United States on the nuclear issue and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US official rejected the Iranian version of events and said it was aimed at the domestic audience of Iranian leaders.

The official said the memorandum of understanding could be signed in Europe in the next few days, but no decision has been made yet on its location.

Once signed, a 60-day negotiation on the technical aspects of the agreement will begin.

US President Donald Trump will go to France next week to attend the G7 summit.

Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, the US official said, “The negotiation team has brought us to a very good point, but let’s see, we have not reached the finish line yet, but we are very close.”

The official said the terms of the deal achieved Trump’s key goals and “ultimately put him in a very, very good place.”

The Memorandum of Understanding will lead to the end of Iran’s nuclear program and the highly enriched uranium will be destroyed on site and then taken out of the country, the official said.

The terms also include an audit regime that will ensure its viability in the long term.

Iran is believed to have 408 kilos of highly enriched uranium.

If Iran complies, it will be freed from economic pressures, including the lifting of asset freezes and the easing of sanctions, the official added.

“The Iranians are not getting anything on the signing of the MoU or the negotiation itself,” the official said.

Trump on Friday rejected the claim that the United States has made major concessions to Iran.

In his post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said that Iran’s leaked comments regarding the agreement reached with the United States do not represent what was agreed upon in writing.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told X on Friday that the memorandum of understanding has “never been this close” but warned against speculation about its content until it is finalized.

Araqchi said that Iran will share all the details with the public in due course, in what he described as Iran’s responsible and transparent approach.

Trump reposted Araqchi’s social media post on Friday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that a final peace agreement text has been agreed upon between the two sides.

Sharif added in his X post that Pakistan is working with the US and Iran to complete the next steps.

The United States wants a deal that ensures Iran never develops nuclear weapons.

Iran, on the other hand, says it is not seeking such a thing.