Washington/Dubai, June 14 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday they expected a long-awaited framework agreement between Washington and Tehran to be signed soon, although Iranian officials indicated that further review of the proposal was still underway.
Trump said on Saturday that an agreement with Iran was expected to be signed on Sunday, while Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework and were preparing for an electronic signing, to be followed by technical-level talks in the coming days.
Iran, however, cast doubt on the timeline. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Saturday that the agreement was unlikely to be signed on Sunday, while Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that political, legal and technical reviews were continuing.
A source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Sunday as efforts to finalize the agreement intensified.
The proposed framework centers on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. Trump said the waterway would be reopened immediately after the agreement is signed.
Sources involved in the talks said the United States would lift its naval blockade of Iran once maritime traffic resumes through the strait. Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program would follow under a separate track.
Draft provisions reviewed by Reuters indicate that Washington would release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and ease restrictions on Iranian oil exports in exchange for Tehran reopening the strategic waterway.
A U.S. official said reopening the strait was a core condition of the agreement and that efforts to clear mines and restore normal shipping would follow. The official added that international partners, including Group of Seven countries, could help secure the route.
Despite growing expectations of a deal, military tensions persisted. The U.S. military said on Saturday it intercepted several Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel continued carrying out strikes on Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that revisions to the draft agreement remained possible, but argued that the proposed framework showed Iran had emerged from the conflict in a stronger position.
The future of Iran’s nuclear program is expected to be addressed during a 60-day negotiating period. U.S. officials have said the objective is the eventual dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, while Iranian officials have indicated they prefer to retain uranium stocks in diluted form.
N.J/ABD
