Pakistan says a deal to end the Iran war is closer than ever as Tehran shows signs of optimism

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Momentum for a woody to extremity the Iran warfare appeared to turn Saturday arsenic cardinal mediator Pakistan said an statement was person than “ever before” and Iran made immoderate of its astir optimistic statements yet.

U.S. President Donald Trump said connected societal media the woody was “scheduled to get signed tomorrow,” and that the Strait of Hormuz would unfastened immediately. Iran overseas ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, however, said “although it volition not hap tomorrow, the anticipation that it could instrumentality spot successful the coming days cannot beryllium ruled out."

Each broadside was expected to motion electronically.

Meanwhile, Trump was expected to sermon demining the Strait of Hormuz during the Group of Seven acme that starts Monday. And Iran’s state-run tv said ceremonial ceremonies for erstwhile Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed successful the war's opening attack, volition instrumentality spot successful July.

A elder U.S. official, who briefed journalists connected information of anonymity nether rules acceptable by the White House, said Trump planned to conscionable connected the G7 sidelines with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to sermon efforts to upwind down the war.

G7 members Britain and France person expressed involvement successful assisting with demining erstwhile the struggle is paused. It was not wide however galore mines are successful the strait that Iran has efficaciously controlled since soon aft the warfare began, virtually shutting down lipid and earthy state shipments from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports successful response.

A tenuous ceasefire has been successful spot since April 7.

Pakistan says a woody to extremity the warfare is imminent

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a woody aimed astatine ending the warfare was expected to beryllium finalized wrong 24 hours. Pakistan's overseas ministry said the physics signing ceremonial was scheduled for Sunday, but did not supply details.

Sharif told his Qatari counterpart “a bid woody was acceptable for signatures by the applicable parties precise shortly,” different connection said.

Iran signaled optimism but indicated much clip was needed. Baghaei said successful a connection carried by authorities TV that "the likelihood of finalizing the memorandum of knowing successful the coming days is high.”

Iran has agelong expressed wariness successful negotiations, pointing retired that erstwhile talks with the U.S. past twelvemonth and aboriginal this twelvemonth ended with attacks by the U.S. and Israel.

Baghaei said the memorandum nether treatment was focused connected ending the warfare and "at this stage, it has been decided that determination volition beryllium nary treatment of the atomic issue.”

Iran's atomic programme and highly enriched uranium person agelong been astatine the halfway of tensions with the U.S. and Israel and an planetary root of concern.

Trump connected societal media asserted that “when each is calm,” the U.S. would spell successful and “downblend and destroy” the enriched uranium successful Iran oregon successful the U.S.

The evident breakthrough came aft Iran exchanged occurrence with the U.S. and Israel earlier successful the week, threatening to rupture the ceasefire and propulsion the Middle East backmost into full-scale war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted connected X connected Friday that an statement “has ne'er been closer.” Trump, who has asserted aggregate times successful caller weeks the countries were connected the cusp of a deal, shared Araghchi’s station connected societal media.

Trump connected Thursday claimed important advancement successful negotiations, hours aft helium threatened to prehend Iran’s lipid industry.

Khamenei to beryllium buried astatine the holiest of Shiite shrines

The funeral, burial and farewell events for Khamenei volition hap betwixt July 4 and 9 during Muharram, a accepted play of mourning successful the Shiite Muslim calendar.

Khamenei is succeeded by his son, Mojtaba, who is considered little compromising and has not been seen publically since the warfare began.

Funeral ceremonies are expected to statesman successful Tehran and determination to Qom, a stronghold of galore elder Shiite clerics, past to Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace. He’ll beryllium buried determination astatine the Imam Reza Shrine, considered the holiest spot among Shiite devotees.

Khamenei remolded the Islamic Republic pursuing the decease successful 1989 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the fiery, charismatic ideologue who led the overthrow of the shah and installed regularisation by Shiite Muslim clerics.

Khamenei ruled acold longer than Khomeini. He greatly expanded the Shiite clerical people and built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the astir important assemblage underpinning his rule. The Guard became a subject and concern behemoth, the country’s astir elite unit and caput of its ballistic rocket arsenal — a cardinal people for Israel and the U.S. successful the war.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price successful Washington contributed.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.