Iran-US deal edges closer as Trump signals Sunday signing and Hormuz reopening
US and mediators suggest agreement is close, even as Iran disputes the signing schedule
Highlights
Arab Parliament slams media reports against UAE and Qatar
Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, has condemned what he described as misleading media reports and allegations that lack accuracy and objectivity and target UAE and Qatar in a futile attempt to undermine their efforts, standing and influential role in supporting regional and international security and stability.
In a statement, Al Yamahi said such narratives do not serve the interests of the peoples of the region and contribute to spreading confusion and distorting facts at a time when current challenges require enhanced cooperation and solidarity among Arab countries to address crises and strengthen the foundations of development and peace.
He noted that the UAE and Qatar have played important roles in supporting initiatives and diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving conflicts and addressing crises, reflecting a clear commitment to the principles of cooperation, partnership and joint action to achieve development and prosperity for the peoples of the region.
Qatari, Pakistani PMs discuss regional developments
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, discussed the latest developments in the region with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
During a telephone call, the two sides reviewed cooperative relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them. They also discussed the latest regional developments alongside Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation, which contribute to enhancing security and stability, according to Qatar News Agency.
Al Thani expressed Qatar's satisfaction with the progress made in the negotiations and Pakistan's mediation announcement that a final text for the peace agreement has been reached. He expressed hope that both the American and Iranian sides will sign the agreement soon.
Furthermore, he reiterated Qatar's full support for Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at ending the crisis through peaceful means, stressing the need for all parties to respond to these efforts to help create conducive conditions to a comprehensive agreement that achieves sustainable peace in the region.
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Audio warning: IRGC warns ships off Strait of Hormuz
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz against transiting the strategic waterway, according to an audio recording of a public maritime radio channel.
The recording, provided to Xinhua by a crew member aboard a commercial vessel near the strait, showed that the IRGC navy addressed all vessels operating in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, saying the Strait of Hormuz had been "completely closed" and that any vessel movement within the strait would be dealt with "decisively."
"For the sake of your health and safety, absolutely refrain from any movement in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice," the recorded message said.
Trump shares AI-generated naval war scene on Truth Social
US President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated, military-themed image of himself on his platform Truth Social, featuring a stylised portrayal with warships and fighter jets in the background.
The image caption read, "YOU'RE GETTING DISCOMBOBULATED."
The post comes amid heightened geopolitical developments in the Middle East, with Trump stating that a peace deal involving Iran is expected to be signed on Sunday. The US president posted the visual on Saturday (local time), which depicts him standing on the deck of a naval vessel in the role of "Commander in Chief," holding binoculars as he surveys a dramatic military scene at sea.
In the background, a fleet of US warships is shown sailing in formation across rough waters, while multiple fighter jets streak across the sky in a symmetrical arc, leaving behind white smoke trails that add to the cinematic effect. The American flags on the ships and the golden sunset backdrop further amplify the dramatic tone of the composition.
Dozens protest peace deal outside Iran foreign ministry
Dozens protested Saturday outside a foreign ministry office in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad, chanting slogans against top diplomat Abbas Araghchi after a televised interview in which he discussed signing a peace deal with the US.
In a video shared by Fars news agency, women in black chadors chanted "death to dishonourable Araghchi, the infiltrator" in front of the building, while waving red and black flags.
The protest comes as the peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan faces opposition from hardline Iranian figures.
They argue that it does not serve Iran's interests and would deprive Tehran of leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. They also accuse Iranian negotiators of having made too many concessions to secure the deal.
Other videos on social media that AFP could not independently verify showed people in front of the foreign ministry building in Tehran chanting "Araghchi, resign" and "Ghalibaf, resign", in reference to parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Trump says Iran war deal imminent, Hormuz Strait to open immediately
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be "open to all" immediately after.
Iran had offered a different timeline earlier in the day, but nonetheless signalled an agreement was in the offing, as both the warring parties and their mediators expressed increasing optimism that weeks of halting negotiations were drawing to a close.
The new momentum came in spite of fresh skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded since early in the war, throwing global markets into turmoil.
"The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Since an April 8 truce paused the worst of the fighting, Trump has repeatedly insisted a deal was near only for the wrangling to drag on.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei had said earlier on Saturday that the date of the signing was yet to be determined, but "it will not be tomorrow".
However, he added: "The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out."
The leader of key mediator Pakistan had also said a deal was closer "than ever before".
"With finalisation 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," said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A Pakistani foreign ministry statement also said the signing was planned for Sunday.
The warring parties have nonetheless released conflicting information about the contents of the deal, as each seeks to show it emerged from the war with the upper hand.
Hormuz drones
Tehran has insisted it will maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route for oil and gas shipments from the Gulf.
Since imposing its blockade, Iran has demanded vessels obtain permission from its armed forces before transiting the waterway, and has established a new body to oversee it and collect tolls.
The US has responded with its own blockade of Iranian ports.
Earlier Saturday, the US military's Central Command said Iran had "launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait".
It added that "US forces have downed all of them in recent hours".
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with state television Friday, had said the deal on the table called for the lifting of the US naval blockade.
"The administration of Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before," he added, calling the waterway one of Iran's "main instruments of deterrence".
The US has repeatedly said Iran remaining in control of the strait would be unacceptable, and Trump's post made no mention of tolls or other arrangements.
'Nuclear dust'
Another key sticking point in the talks has been the fate of Iran's nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of highly enriched uranium - believed to have been buried by US strikes last year during a previous short-lived war.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful and that it has a right to enrichment, but the United States, Israel and other Western governments suspect it of seeking a bomb.
Araghchi on Friday said the only way to deal with Iran's enriched uranium "is to dilute it inside Iran".
Trump, who has justified the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, previously said the US would remove and destroy the uranium.
In Saturday's post, he said: "When all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust... and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States".
"Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly," he added. "If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel - which launched the war in tandem with the US in February - said Trump had promised him any agreement would include the removal of the enriched nuclear material.
In the streets of Tehran, there was scepticism the latest agreement would cross the finish line.
"I don't think there is any deal soon," said Saeed Sadeghi, 49. "I don't trust their word."
Fars news agency shared a video from Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad showing dozens protesting the deal outside a foreign ministry building Saturday.
It showed women in black chadors chanted "death to dishonourable Araghchi, the infiltrator", while waving red and black flags.
