Iran says MoU signing with US 'will not be tomorrow'

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday ruled out the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States on Sunday, though spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said an agreement to end hostilities remains possible in the coming days amid ongoing Islamabad-mediated negotiations.

Tehran's Timeline

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian media on Saturday that the Islamabad memorandum focuses on ending the war, while nuclear issues will not be discussed at this stage. "We will have to wait and see about the exact time of signing the memorandum; although it will not be tomorrow, the possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out," he told Tasnim News Agency. He added that the possibility of concluding the deal in the coming days "is very high," according to IRNA.

Pakistani Optimism

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered a more optimistic timeline early Saturday, writing on X that Tehran and Washington are "closer to a peace deal than ever before." "With finalization likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week," Sharif said in the post. Baghaei, however, cited what he called Washington's "hesitation" in making comments about the process, stating that Iran must remain cautious and that "our negotiating team has no plans to travel to Geneva or anywhere else in the next two days."

War and Blockade

The Pakistan-mediated negotiations have focused on ending hostilities between Iran and the United States, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic and reaching consensus on Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials have said a large portion of the text has already been agreed upon, while accusing Washington of slowing progress through shifting positions and contradictory statements. The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's key energy chokepoints.