Trump says Iran deal set for Sunday but Tehran has yet to confirm
US President Donald Trump says a long-awaited agreement to end the US-Israeli war on Iran will be signed on Sunday, paving the way for the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz after a conflict that engulfed the region and shook the global economy.
"The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
The announcement appeared to clash with comments from Iran’s foreign ministry earlier in the day. According to Iranian state media, Tehran indicated that the agreement would not be signed on Sunday.
Trump also said Washington would take control of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and destroy it.
"At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 Bombers and their brilliant pilots, and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States," Trump said. "We look forward to working with Iran, and the entire Middle East, long into the future."
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The US president also warned Tehran against failing to implement the agreement.
"Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly," he wrote. "If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!"
'We are closer to a peace deal than ever before'
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Islamabad is preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours, with technical-level talks expected to follow 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 social media.
But Iran has stopped short of confirming the timetable.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, urged caution over when the memorandum of understanding might be signed.
“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 comments come after days of heavy fighting between Iran, Israel and the US, marking the most serious escalation since a ceasefire took effect in April.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump threatened to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil export terminal and launch a new wave of attacks. He later claimed a diplomatic breakthrough, saying a draft agreement had been “approved” by “the highest level of Iranian leadership”.
middleeasteye.net