US, Iran Have Agreed to Wording of a Deal to End Their War, Pakistan PM Says

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Friday that the United States and Iran have reached an agreement on the wording of a deal intended to end their protracted war in the Middle East. Sharif stated that mediators are actively working with both nations to finalize the terms, describing the current moment as the closest peace has ever been.

This apparent breakthrough follows a tense week of exchanged fire between Iran and the U.S. and Israel, which had raised fears of a full-scale regional conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed the sentiment, posting on X that an agreement has "never been closer." Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously suggested a deal was imminent, shared Araghchi's post on his social media.

“

Peace has never been this close as it is now

The war, which began on February 28, has significantly disrupted oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7. Araghchi indicated that while an initial agreement to end the war on "all fronts, including Lebanon" would be signed soon, details regarding Iran's nuclear program would be finalized within 60 days.

According to a senior U.S. administration official, the emerging agreement would also lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the commencement of efforts to remove or destroy Iran's highly enriched uranium. The official described the deal as 80% to 85% complete, noting that while most Iranian authorities support the deal, not all do. Regional officials, speaking anonymously, added that the agreement is expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen assets.

“

an agreement “has never been closer”