US-Iran Peace Deal 80–85% Close as Pakistan Confirms Agreed Text, but Trump Calls Iran 'Dishonorable' and Disavows Leaked Terms
A peace deal between the United States and Iran is within reach, according to mediators and officials, but President Trump dismissed leaked Iranian reports as false and accused Tehran of bad faith, injecting uncertainty into the talks.
A tentative framework
A draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran has been reached, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Friday. "Setting aside the noise, we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached," Sharif wrote on social media. His announcement came amid a day of conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran. A senior Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, put the likelihood of signing the deal within days at 80 to 85 percent. The official said that "most of the people that we've been speaking to, and most of the people who have authority within their system, want to sign this deal," but acknowledged internal fractures within the Iranian regime.
Trump's shifting stance
President Trump, who earlier in the week had suggested a deal could be signed by the weekend, lashed out at Iranian media reports of the proposed terms, accusing Tehran of leaking false details. "Very dishonorable people to deal with," Trump posted on social media. "They better get their act together, and FAST!" He said the leaked accounts had "NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing." Still, he later shared a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who stated that a deal "has never been closer." Araghchi urged media to refrain from speculation about its content, calling the pending document the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding" after the city that hosted negotiations.
They better get their act together, and FAST!
What the deal includes
Under the proposed framework, the multi-front war that began on February 28 would halt, including in Lebanon, for a 60-day negotiating period. The United States would lift its naval blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for roughly 20 percent of global oil flows. Iran, in turn, commits never to acquire a nuclear weapon and to begin technical talks on removing enriched material and decommissioning nuclear sites. The senior administration official said the specificity on destruction and removal of enriched material was a change that made Trump "much happier." Both sides would also agree to a significant relief of economic sanctions on Iran, phased as Tehran complies.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content.
Iran's internal dynamics
For the first time, U.S. officials expressed confidence that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had signed off on the text. The senior official said that figures on both the civilian and military side had "attested that the supreme leader is comfortable with where we are in the negotiation," removing a key obstacle that had stalled previous rounds. Yet Iranian hard-line media published a version of the deal that diverged sharply from U.S. positions, underscoring the regime's fractured internal politics. "Those internal fractures are sort of working themselves out," the official noted.
Next steps
Even if the memorandum is signed in the coming days, the hardest part lies ahead. The 60-day technical negotiations must resolve details of dismantlement and enrichment removal. It is unclear what happens if those talks expire without a comprehensive accord. Israel has expressed concern that Iran may avoid real nuclear concessions once the immediate military pressure is lifted. For now, however, Pakistan's mediation effort has brought the sides closer than at any point since the war's outbreak. A signing ceremony could be announced within days if remaining holdouts within Tehran give their consent.
