Trump says deal to end war to be signed on Sunday, but Iran questions timing
Iranian officials and hardline protesters have expressed opposition to the framework agreement
US and Pakistani leaders forecast a Sunday signing of a long-elusive framework agreement to end fighting between the United States and Iran, but Tehran cast doubt over the timing and hardline protesters in Iran voiced opposition.
US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Saturday that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed the next day, his 80th birthday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, to be followed by technical-level talks in the coming week.
But Iran did not confirm a Sunday signing. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, speaking before Trump’s post, had cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing but was quoted by state media saying, “It will not be tomorrow”, but could happen “in the coming days”.
Trump wrote on social media that after a framework deal is signed, the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies that Iran has blocked, would immediately be “open to all”.
While US bombings have heavily degraded Iran’s military-industrial base and damaged its military, experts say the war has left hardline Revolutionary Guard dominance more firmly entrenched than before.