Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the United States and Iran have agreed on the wording of a peace deal to end the war that began at the end of February.
Pakistan has been acting as a mediator in the talks, passing messages and latest proposals between the two sides.
"We can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps," Sharif wrote on X on Friday.
"Peace has never been this close as it is now," he said.
Information from the warring sides also indicated that there had been substantial progress.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on Friday that "the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer."
"Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course," he wrote.
US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that the US had reached a "great settlement" with Iran. Documents were being prepared and could soon be ready for signing, he said.
He said Europe could host the signing ceremony, but did not identify a specific country or location.
Striking a different tone earlier on Friday, however, Trump expressed his irritation for what he said were leaks to the press by Tehran.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said that the terms that had been leaked "have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing."
Nuclear breakthrough?
According to US sources, the negotiations had produced agreements regarding Iran’s nuclear material.
Iran's nuclear programme is, along with the status of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, the most contentious part of the dispute between the two sides.
According to the US sources, Iran had agreed that its nuclear material will be destroyed and removed, that its nuclear programme will be dismantled; that no Iranian funds would be released until the country has fulfilled its obligations; and that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
Iran had also agreed not to finance terrorist groups, the sources said.
The Iranian news agency Fars had reported on 14 key points that had been agreed upon in the apparent deal.
The report stated that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened within 30 days. In return, the US is to lift its naval blockade. An agreement on the nuclear dispute is then to be reached within 60 days.
The Iranian account also mentions the lifting of sanctions, the release of billions in assets, and reparations payments to Iran. Experts were sceptical that the US would have agreed to this.
The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28. A ceasefire has been in effect since April, but there have been repeated mutual attacks, and an escalation in the fighting in the last few days.
The Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict has led to a dramatic increase in the price of oil worldwide.
