Peace talks to end the long-standing hostility between the United States and Iran, a chronic challenge in the Middle East, appear finally on the verge of a final agreement. Pakistan, which has mediated dialogue between the two countries, expressed strong confidence, saying a historic deal would be reached within a day.
On the 13th, local time, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on his social media, X (formerly Twitter), "We are closer than ever to a peace agreement," adding, "We are preparing to hold working-level talks next week."
He added, "We thank the United States and Iran for their sustained efforts throughout the negotiations, and we are truly grateful for the support of brotherly countries in the region," noting, "We are confident this historic peace agreement will serve as a solid foundation for lasting peace."
The move aligns with the tone of the U.S. administration. A day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump also said that a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the state of war with Iran could take place as early as this weekend or Monday.
If the two countries sign the end-of-war memorandum of understanding this time, they will immediately enter a full-fledged follow-up negotiation track over the next 60 days to coordinate concrete technical details. At this stage, they are expected to finalize a specific implementation roadmap on how to actually dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities and how to dispose of nuclear materials.
However, on the day, Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said, "We need to wait and see regarding the timing of the MOU signing," countering that "it will not be tomorrow, the 14th, but we cannot rule out the possibility of a signing within a few days."
He added, "We should be cautious since the other side has not made any comment on this process," noting, "The Islamabad memorandum of understanding currently under discussion focuses on ending the war, and at this stage we have decided not to discuss the nuclear issue."