Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says agreement has ‘never been closer’ in post shared by Donald Trump
Munir Ahmed, Collin Binkley And Russ Bynum
Islamabad: The United States and Iran are close to signing a deal aimed at ending their war, three regional officials told The Associated Press on Friday. A senior US official said the interim agreement includes terms for the removal and destruction of nuclear material in Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that a deal on X has “never been this close.” He gave no details, saying the final agreement was still pending. US President Donald Trump shared Araghchi’s post on his social media account.
The apparent progress in talks comes after Iran exchanged fire with the United States and Israel for three days this week, threatening to turn the Middle East into all-out war.
Trump has said multiple times in recent weeks that countries are on the brink of a deal. The war launched by the USA and Israel on February 28 shook the Middle East and almost stopped oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since April 7.
Regional officials said the resulting agreement is expected to pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the gradual removal of sanctions against Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. These officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, declined to discuss further details.
A senior US official said key terms of the resulting deal include the removal and destruction of Iran’s nuclear materials and the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear program. The conditions also include Iran agreeing not to fund terrorist groups, the official said.
The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details about sensitive talks.
Underlining the fragility of the talks, Trump lashed out at Iranian officials on social media on Friday, saying: “They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Iran’s nuclear program has been a key point of division. The US and Israel fear this could lead to atomic weapons; This is the main reason their leaders give for going to war. Tehran has insisted that its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.
It is also critical for Iran to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and natural gas. The disruption of transit through the Bosphorus has restricted global energy supplies, raised fuel prices and made food and other basic needs more expensive far beyond the region.
The United States has responded by imposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports since mid-April in an attempt to prevent 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 restructure the region and lead to lasting peace,” US Vice President J.D. Vance said in a statement on his social media account on Friday, without providing details.
Trump on Thursday claimed significant progress had been made in talks to extend the ceasefire, just hours after he threatened to step up attacks and take over Iran’s oil industry. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on state television that mediators were active and the text of the agreement was “largely finalized.”
There was no comment Friday from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, which is leading mediation efforts to reach a deal between the United States and Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday that Pakistan continues to participate in the talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is not a party to the negotiated agreement. He said Friday that he and Trump had reached “complete agreement” that Iran should not have nuclear weapons.
Israel also expects Trump to protect core Israeli interests, including weakening Iran’s missile program and proxy network, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a separate statement.
Katz warned that Israel could still act independently against Iran and that the country would not withdraw from areas it occupies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, or from refugee camps in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting in Lebanon between its ally militia group Hezbollah and Israel. Netanyahu appears determined to achieve his goal of destroying the militant group, complicating negotiations between Iran and the US
Regional officials said the deal was largely brokered by Pakistan, led by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, with support from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar.
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