Momentum is building for an agreement to conclude the Iran conflict, with Pakistan playing a pivotal role as mediator. The country’s foreign ministry announced an imminent agreement, signaling progress few have seen before.
Electronic signing of the agreement is anticipated. U.S. President Donald Trump hinted on social media that the Strait of Hormuz would soon reopen, although Iran’s optimism was tempered by realistic timelines provided by spokesperson Esmail Baghaei. The signing ceremony was expected soon, despite Baghaei’s caution that immediate results should not be anticipated.
Discussion at the upcoming Group of Seven summit includes strategic moves like demining operations in the Strait. Trump will meet leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE to further negotiations. Britain and France have offered assistance with this task once hostilities subside. The conflict previously halted vital oil and gas shipments, with Iran maintaining control over the strait.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, echoed the optimism, leading talks that may finalize an agreement within 24 hours. The electronic signing ceremony was slated for Sunday. Sharif conveyed to Qatar that parties involved were ready to confirm the peace deal imminently.
Recent exchanges of fire threatened the tenuous ceasefire in place since April 7. There were concerns that the nuclear issue might derail talks, but Iran’s focus remains on concluding hostilities. Trump assured that enriched uranium would be neutralized following peace, either by removal or destruction.
Iran’s internal matters have also been affected, with funeral arrangements for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei planned. Khamenei, killed in initial hostilities, will be interred in Mashhad at the revered Imam Reza Shrine. His successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, inherits the mantle amid ongoing conflict. Ceremonies are set to span Shiite mourning periods in early July.
Khamenei’s tenure saw the strengthening of the Revolutionary Guard, a critical force in Iran’s military arsenal, increasingly targeted in the war’s progression.
Reporting from Cairo by Magdy and Washington by Madhani, with additional contributions from Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price.
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