HYDERABAD, June 13 — Iran and the United States have agreed on the text of an agreement to end their hostilities, according to Pakistan, which has been acting as the go-between to defuse the crisis.
However, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said there were attempts to sabotage the efforts aimed at ending the war in West Asia.
“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of an incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal,” Shehbaz said in a post on X on Friday night, without being specific.
“Setting aside the noise, 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 finalise the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now,” the prime minister added.
All details will be shared with the public in due course, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promised in a post on his X page.
“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” he said.
The US and Iran agreed on a temporary ceasefire on April 7 with Pakistan acting as an intermediary.
The warring parties held high-level direct talks in Islamabad on April 11-12, but have been unable to agree on the terms of a longer-term solution to end the conflict, which began with the US-Israeli attacks on February 28.
The Jewish regime of Israel and its lobbies have egged the US on to continue its anti-Iran warfare.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian parliament speaker, who held talks with US vice-president J.D. Vance in Islamabad two months ago, on Friday night underlined that commitments must be honoured, suggesting that a deal is in the offing.
“Commitments made must be commitments kept. No ifs, no buts, no excuses. For the close deal ahead, there is no other way,” he said.
“You reap what you sow,” he warned.
Israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon, which is covered in the April ceasefire, recently forced Iran to hit Israeli targets with missiles on June 7 after the Netanyahu regime bombed Beirut despite warnings not to do so.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also warned of a broader response to include “all American-Zionist targets in the region” if Israel did not stop its aggression against Lebanon.
Iran is looking to make sure that there are no loopholes for non-compliance by the US in the agreement, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported.
“After signing the initial agreement, we give the US 60 days to fulfil its duties. During this time, we may reach an understanding or extend the ceasefire; it is also possible that after 60 days, we will return to the previous situation,” Araghchi told the state broadcaster.
Iran will maintain control over shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi said.
There will be no tolls, but Iran will charge for services, he said.
IRIB reported that the text of the initial memorandum of understanding consists of two pages and will ensure that Iran’s frozen assets are freed.
The US vice-president said Iran is not receiving any cash and no funds are being released for “simply signing a deal or attending a meeting” but sounded optimistic about a possible agreement.
“The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its (allies’) concerns are prioritised, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region. This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace,” Vance said on X.
