Are the US and Iran about to sign an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?
Although US President Donald Trump asserted that an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East could be signed as early as Sunday, Iran offered a more cautious timeframe.
US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East could be signed on June 14 (US time), and affirmed that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be reopened shortly thereafter.
"The agreement is expected to be signed tomorrow, and shortly after that, the Strait of Hormuz will be open to everyone," Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform on Saturday.
Earlier that day, Iran offered a different timeframe, but still signaled that an agreement was nearing completion. Both the warring parties and the mediators expressed optimism as the weeks-long negotiations were believed to be entering their final stages.
On the mediating side, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also stated that an agreement was closer than ever.
In a social media post on Saturday, Mr. Sharif said that the agreement was expected to be "finalized" within the next 24 hours. He said the document would be signed electronically, although he did not elaborate. He also stated that technical-level negotiations were expected to continue next week.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced that the signing ceremony is scheduled for today, June 14th.
Positive signals emerged despite recent clashes in the Strait of Hormuz – an area blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the conflict, significantly impacting global markets.
Since the ceasefire on April 8th, which temporarily ended the most intense period of fighting, Trump has repeatedly stated that an agreement is imminent. However, negotiations have dragged on due to lingering disagreements.
However, Tehran has sent more cautious signals. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the specific signing date has not yet been determined and affirmed that "it will not be tomorrow," although he did not rule out the possibility of it happening in the next few days.
The discrepancy in timelines suggests that both sides are still seeking the upper hand in negotiations, particularly on two major sticking points: control of the Strait of Hormuz and the fate of enriched uranium stockpiles.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz
The US and Iran continue to provide conflicting information about the agreement's contents, as each side wants to demonstrate that it gained the upper hand after the war.
Tehran insists it will maintain control of the Strait of Hormuz and continues to impose a blockade on this vital shipping lane.
The US retaliated by blockading Iranian seaports.
On June 13, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Iran had launched multiple suicide drones targeting commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to the agency, all of the drones were shot down by U.S. forces in recent hours.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the draft agreement under consideration requires the U.S. to lift its naval blockade. "The management of the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same," Araghchi stated on state television, calling it Iran's "main deterrent." Meanwhile, the U.S. has consistently stated that Iran's control of the strait is "unacceptable."
