Tehran denies Trump’s Sunday deal claim
US President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that an agreement between the United States and Iran is set to be signed on Sunday, shortly after Iran announced that the proposed Islamabad memorandum would not be signed on that day. In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the agreement would inhibit Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon and facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote.
He noted that his administration’s strategy was distinct from the 2015 nuclear deal brokered during the tenure of former US President Barack Obama. “Barack Hussein Obama’s Deal with Iran, the JCPOA, was an easy, beautiful, smooth road to a Nuclear Weapon, which Iran would have had six years ago,” Trump said, adding, “My Agreement with Iran is the exact opposite, A WALL TO NO NUCLEAR WEAPON!” Trump further asserted that Iran had ceased its pursuit of acquiring a nuclear weapon. “In fact, they no longer desire a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they acquire one, whether through purchase, development, or any other means of procurement,” he stated. The US President also stated that no financial payments would be included as part of the agreement. “Unlike Obama’s hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to them, including 1.7 billion dollars in green, cold cash, no money will exchange hands,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments were made in contrast to a statement issued by Iran’s Foreign Ministry earlier in the day, which refuted claims that the Islamabad memorandum would be signed on Sunday. As reported, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated, “the exact timing of the signing of the Islamabad memorandum will not be on Sunday.” Baghaei indicated that the potential for signing the memorandum in the near future remains a possibility, yet he advised against setting a specific date due to what he characterised as reluctance from the opposing party. The conflicting statements come in the wake of an announcement made by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who indicated on Saturday that the United States and Iran had reached an agreement on a framework for a peace deal following discussions facilitated by Islamabad.
In a post on X, Sharif indicated that a final text had been reached and that preparations for an electronic signing were in progress, with technical-level discussions scheduled for the following week. “We would like to thank United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support. We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” Sharif said. The contrasting stances from Washington and Tehran create ambiguity regarding the timeline for any official signing, even though both parties have suggested that negotiations are still in progress.
