‘Islamabad Declaration’ nears final stage, Iran denies Sunday signing
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
The United States and Iran are moving closer to formalising a framework agreement aimed at securing peace, with both sides preparing for an electronic signing followed by technical discussions expected next week. However, uncertainty remains over the exact signing date, as the US and Iran have offered differing timelines. On Saturday, Shehbaz Sharif announced via X that the agreement was likely to be completed within the next 24 hours. He said the proposed deal was “closer than ever before” and expressed hope that it would establish a durable path toward regional peace. Soon after, Donald Trump shared the Pakistani PM’s post on Truth Social, signalling support for the progress. Despite this, Iranian officials rejected reports suggesting that the Islamabad memorandum would be signed as early as Sunday. While both countries indicated that an agreement could be finalised within the coming days, President Trump maintained that the deal was expected to be signed on Sunday. In his Truth Social post, he said the agreement would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and clarified that no financial exchange would take place as part of the arrangement. Trump further stated that once tensions ease, the US would oversee the removal, dilution, and destruction of nuclear material, either inside Iran or on American soil. He added that the US hoped to build long-term cooperation with Iran and the broader Middle East, while warning that alternative options remained available if negotiations failed. Iran, however, pushed back on the timeline suggested by the US. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said reports about a Sunday signing were inaccurate, although he acknowledged that an agreement could still be signed within the next few days. Baghaei stressed that caution was necessary when discussing specific dates, pointing to uncertainty and hesitation from the opposing side. He also stated that Iranian representatives would not travel to either Geneva or Islamabad —