Pakistan says the United States and Iran have reached the final wording of a peace agreement aimed at ending the war, a sharper diplomatic signal than the earlier claim that a deal was merely close.
The Associated Press reported Friday that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a “final, agreed upon text” had been reached and that Islamabad was working with both sides on the next steps. The statement does not mean the agreement has been signed. But it moves the story from broad deal optimism into a claimed text-stage breakthrough by the main mediator.
The distinction matters. Earlier Friday, List25 covered the emerging U.S. position that any deal would require Iran’s nuclear material to be removed and destroyed. The new development is that Pakistan is now saying the text itself has been agreed, even as the United States and Iran continue to manage public disputes over what that text actually says.
What Pakistan is claiming
Sharif said Pakistan’s mediation had reached the point where a final text exists, according to AP and The Guardian’s live coverage. He also warned of misinformation aimed at undermining the process, a sign that Islamabad is trying to keep the public narrative from breaking the deal before the formal signing phase.
AP reported that the emerging agreement is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, phase in sanctions relief, and release frozen Iranian assets. A senior U.S. official also said technical details on removing Iran’s enriched uranium would be worked out during a 60-day period after the agreement is signed.
That structure leaves room for both sides to claim progress without saying the crisis is fully resolved. Iran can say the details are not yet public. Washington can say sanctions relief will not come up front. Pakistan can say the text exists while the next steps are still being arranged.
The deal is described as performance-based
The strongest U.S. caveat is sequencing. The Guardian, citing Reuters, reported that a senior U.S. official described the memorandum as performance-based. Under that framing, Iran would not receive frozen assets or other economic benefits simply because a document is signed. It would receive relief as it meets obligations.
The reported U.S. terms include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, and destroying highly enriched uranium that would be taken out of the country. The same reporting said the agreement would also relieve some economic pressure through sanctions relief and access to assets, but only after compliance.
That is likely to be the core political fight. If the benefits come too slowly, Tehran may face pressure from hardliners who argue the deal gives up too much. If the benefits come too quickly, Washington and Israel will face their own backlash over whether Iran received relief before proving compliance.
Lebanon is now part of the dispute
The deal is not only about Iran’s nuclear program and Hormuz. The Guardian reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, would be announced as part of the agreement. He said ending the Lebanon war would require Israel’s withdrawal from occupied areas.
That adds another risk point. Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon while U.S.-Iran negotiations have moved forward. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has also insisted that Lebanon cannot be left outside a regional settlement. If Lebanon is included in the final package, Israel’s position becomes central to whether the Iran agreement can actually hold.
AP also reported that President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the latest Iran efforts, and that U.S. officials are stressing to Israel that Iran must deliver concessions before receiving benefits.
A signing site is still uncertain
Switzerland has offered to host a possible signing, according to The Guardian’s report on AFP and Reuters updates. But Iranian officials have not confirmed a time or place, and Tehran has urged media outlets not to speculate before the agreement is finalized.
That makes the current moment delicate. Pakistan is saying the text has been agreed. U.S. officials are saying the deal is close but not yet at the finish line. Iranian officials are saying the memorandum has never been closer while still holding back details. Those statements can all be true at the same time.
For now, the new angle is clear: the Iran crisis has moved from a reported framework to a mediator’s claim that final wording exists. The next test is whether that wording survives the politics of signing, verification, Hormuz reopening, sanctions relief, and the Lebanon front.
Sources: Associated Press, The Guardian live updates, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.