Pakistan: Peace deal between US and Iran is reached

A potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran has been announced by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated that both sides have agreed to an immediate and permanent halt to military operations. Sharif announced the breakthrough via a statement on X, formerly Twitter, indicating that a signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday.

The reported agreement aims to cease hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. According to the Pakistani prime minister, several meetings are planned this week to prepare for the official signing. This development follows repeated assertions from U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal was close to being finalized.

However, the situation remains complex, with Iran reportedly denying that an agreement was imminent earlier in the day. Iran's stance was influenced by recent Israeli attacks against Lebanon, which Iranian officials suggested complicated the negotiation process. The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was quoted as questioning the point of continuing talks if commitments could not be met.

Amidst these conflicting reports, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz expressed confidence that the agreement would be signed, though he acknowledged the difficulty in negotiating with Iran and the internal disagreements within its leadership. President Trump also publicly criticized Israel's recent actions in Lebanon, calling the attack "never should have taken place" and emphasizing that it should not disrupt the crucial peace process.