Trump says deal with Iran will be signed Sunday

A deal to end the conflict with Iran will be signed Sunday, President Donald Trump said Saturday in a social media post.

Immediately after it is signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be open to all, the president said on Truth Social. “Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous administrations have had.”

Iran foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, however, said Saturday that “although it will not happen (Sunday), the possibility that it could take place in the coming days cannot be ruled out,” according to The Associated Press.

Pakistan, which has served as a mediator, is preparing for an electronic signing of the peace deal, “followed by technical-level talks next week,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Those talks would last up to 60 days and focus on Iran’s nuclear program.

On Friday, Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency published details of what it said was a 14-point draft memorandum of understanding that would focus first on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The reported agreement came after Trump called off pending strikes Thursday against Iran’s energy infrastructure. Speaking at a rally the same day, Trump declared that the U.S. had “ended the war with Iran.”

A breakthrough in talks could halt a cycle of retaliation that has pushed the region closer to a renewed war. The U.S. and Iran signed a temporary ceasefire in April but have since struggled to agree on a final deal.

In recent months, Trump has repeatedly said a deal to end the war was imminent. In May, he said an agreement was “largely negotiated,” but the effort drew opposition from some conservative allies who preferred a tougher approach.

It isn’t clear how the current draft differs from the framework discussed at the time.

Tensions escalated earlier this week after an Iranian drone struck an Army Apache helicopter off the coast of Oman. Both pilots were safely rescued, but Trump vowed to retaliate against Iran for its actions, ordering strikes against military targets over the course of two days.

Iran responded with strikes of its own, firing missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait this week. Local authorities in those countries said most of the strikes were intercepted or failed to meet their targets. U.S. officials said there was no damage to U.S. bases and no harm to personnel.

Trump momentarily appeared ready to escalate the war on Thursday, threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD” and assume control of its oil industry before calling off the attack a few hours later.

The war began Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and has resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members. Iranian officials have said over 3,000 people were killed in Iran during the war.

Stars and Stripes reporter Lara Korte and the Tribune News Service contributed to this story.