A major diplomatic development over the end of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran has erupted into conflicting timelines this weekend, after former US President Donald Trump announced that a long-negotiated peace agreement would be signed Sunday to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for global oil trade, has been closed throughout the recent escalation that roiled regional security and sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
In a post shared to his Truth Social platform Saturday, Trump confirmed the deal’s purported timeline, stating that “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.” Alongside the framework for ending hostilities, Trump outlined a key nuclear provision: the United States will take control of Iran’s existing stockpile of enriched uranium and permanently destroy the material. He detailed that once the region stabilizes, US B-2 stealth bombers will be deployed to extract and eliminate the nuclear material stored deep beneath fortified granite mountain sites, with downblending and disposal completed either in Iran or on US territory. Closing his statement, Trump extended an olive branch, saying “We look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future.” He also issued a veiled warning to Tehran over full implementation of the terms, noting “Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed optimism around the negotiations, announcing Saturday that Islamabad is prepared to complete an electronic signing of the agreement within 24 hours, with follow-up technical negotiations scheduled to kick off next week. “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before … We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” Sharif wrote on his official social media channels.
Despite the upbeat announcements from Washington and Islamabad, Iranian officials have pushed back directly on the Sunday signing timeline. Speaking to Iranian state media Saturday morning, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stressed that the memorandum of understanding would not be signed the following day, urging caution over premature timeline announcements. “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” Baghaei was quoted as saying. “The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out.”
The conflicting statements come following nearly a week of intense armed conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, the most severe escalation of tensions between the three parties since a ceasefire was reached in April. Just two days prior, on Thursday, Trump ramped up pressure on Iran by threatening to seize the country’s Kharg Island oil export terminal and launch a new round of military strikes. Within hours, he announced a sudden diplomatic breakthrough, claiming that a draft agreement had already been “approved” by “the highest level of Iranian leadership.”