Trump says U.S.-Iran peace agreement to be signed on the 14th; Iran has not confirmed

On Saturday, June 13, U.S. President Trump and Pakistan, which is mediating the talks, stated that a peace agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war is expected to be signed on Sunday, June 14. After the agreement is signed, "the Strait of Hormuz will be open to all nations." However, as of now, the Iranian government has not confirmed this specific timeline.

According to AFP, it was Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who first announced the imminent signing of the agreement. On Saturday, he posted on social platform X: "We are closer than ever to a peace agreement. The deal is expected to be finalized within the next 24 hours, and Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing procedure after the agreement is reached." He also noted that technical-level consultations between the U.S. and Iran will continue next week.

Subsequently, U.S. President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social: "The signing of the agreement is scheduled for tomorrow." He further stated that once the agreement is signed, "the Strait of Hormuz will be open to all countries."

On another key issue—the enrichment of uranium—Trump said the U.S. would travel to Iran at an appropriate time to receive relevant nuclear materials. The U.S. has consistently insisted that any agreement must include dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and handing over fissile materials to American authorities for eventual destruction and removal from Iran.

However, according to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, the Iranian Foreign Ministry only stated on the same day that the agreement might be reached "within the coming few days," without mentioning a signing on Sunday.

Nuclear issue remains focal point

Since Friday, both the U.S. and Iran have signaled breakthroughs in negotiations, but the content of the agreement disclosed by Iranian media and U.S. sources still shows significant discrepancies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi emphasized: "Until a comprehensive agreement is reached, no one can truly confirm that both sides have achieved a common position." According to Araghchi, the proposed agreement includes lifting U.S. blockades on Iranian ports and establishing a new management mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.

As a crucial global energy transit route, the Strait of Hormuz has been under Iranian control since the outbreak of the war, leading to a sharp rise in international oil prices.

On Friday, Iran's Mehr News Agency released a 14-point framework document reportedly outlining a draft agreement, including recognition of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment and rapid unfreezing of Iran’s $24 billion in overseas frozen assets. This is one of the most pressing demands for Iran, long burdened by sanctions.

Trump said on June 13 that Iran “no longer seeks nuclear weapons.” He added: "Once stability returns, we will go to retrieve those nuclear materials buried deep in mountainous areas, dilute and destroy them—whether done in Iran or the United States."

Previously, Araghchi suggested diluting Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% down to below 5%. Since producing nuclear weapons typically requires weapons-grade uranium enriched to around 90%, this would effectively prevent Iran from rapidly manufacturing nuclear weapons—a move seen as a major breakthrough in resolving the nuclear dispute.

Iranian domestic reaction cautious

The reformist newspaper Etemad believes that if the agreement is reached, it could help Iran escape its long-standing geopolitical and economic predicament. In contrast, conservative media Kayhan warns that Iran must continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, as it is "the enemy’s greatest weakness."

Lebanon issue included in agreement framework

This conflict began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran. A ceasefire was reached on April 8. The war triggered a full-scale escalation across the Middle East, resulting in thousands of deaths—mostly concentrated in Iran and Lebanon—and had a significant impact on the global economy.

Trump currently faces growing pressure domestically to quickly exit this unpopular war. The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November, coinciding with the football World Cup hosted by the U.S.

Regarding the Lebanon issue, a senior U.S. official revealed on June 13 that related arrangements have been incorporated into the ongoing negotiation framework—an insistence by Iran. Previously, Washington had expressed willingness to handle the Lebanon issue separately from Iran’s nuclear talks.

Lebanon became involved in the conflict on March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks inside Israel in support of Iran. Since then, Israeli forces have continued bombing Lebanon, targeting what they describe as the goal of "eliminating" Hezbollah; meanwhile, Hezbollah has persistently attacked Israeli military positions and targets within Israel.

On June 13, the Israeli military stated that it had struck "more than 70" targets linked to Hezbollah within the past 24 hours. According to official Lebanese statistics, Israeli airstrikes since early March have resulted in over 3,700 deaths.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867926412197897/

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