Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a peace deal with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, promising that the Strait of Hormuz will be “OPEN TO ALL” immediately after. But Iran’s foreign ministry immediately poured cold water on the timeline.
“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,” said Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, according to quotes reported by the BBC.
“Trump says Iran peace deal to be signed Sunday, but Tehran says 'not tomorrow'.”
The US president’s claim on Truth Social came after months of on-off diplomacy since the war began with US and Israeli strikes across Iran on 28 February. In his post, Trump said Iran “no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one” and that “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust” – an apparent reference to enriched uranium stockpiles – which would later be destroyed.
He also warned of an “ultimate alternative” if things did not “work out quickly, easily and smoothly”. The White House has not publicly confirmed the exact terms, but a senior US official said the memorandum of understanding would reopen the waterway, lift the US blockade of Iranian ports, and see Iran’s highly enriched uranium destroyed on site and taken out of the country.
Pakistan, a key mediator, said it was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours. “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,” wrote Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on X.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that a deal was close and that it included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade, though he said talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme would begin later. Araghchi also told state TV that the agreement envisaged an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon – a point that US officials have reportedly disputed.
Trump’s latest announcement marks roughly the 40th time he has claimed a deal was imminent, only to revert to threats, according to The Guardian. The Mirror reported that Baghaei blamed the “inconsistency” of the US for the delay and said Iran needed to “remain cautious”.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was ready to support peace efforts, the Evening Standard reported. No formal confirmation of the signing has come from Tehran, and there was no sign of any pause in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, noted Channel 4 News.
For decades, Western countries have accused Iran of trying to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies this, insisting its programme is for peaceful purposes. Trump’s announcement, made on his 80th birthday, leaves the world waiting to see whether Sunday will bring a deal – or another round of threats.