The United States and Iran have both expressed optimism that they are close to a deal, but have differing explanations of the terms, including when the deal will be signed.
President Trump says US-Iran deal will be signed on Sunday
President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran “will be signed” on Sunday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. CNN’s Julia Benbrook reported that Iran has not committed to signing the deal, and there is disagreement over what it includes.
Here’s what they said:
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the deal with Iran “will be signed tomorrow,” adding: “As soon as it’s signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be open to everyone.”
“We hope this process goes quickly, easily and smoothly,” he said, but added that if it doesn’t, “we have the ultimate alternative.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the main mediator, said the two countries were “closer than ever to a peace agreement.” He said on Saturday that the terms of a potential agreement could be finalized within the “next 24 hours.”
However, Iran’s military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), denied that Tehran would sign an agreement with the United States on Sunday and criticized President Trump’s “extraordinary claims.”
The Revolutionary Guards said the schedule was a “test for Iran’s negotiating team” and that President Trump’s announcement came “despite Iranian negotiators making clear that the memorandum of understanding is not yet finalized and that Sunday’s signature will never happen.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai also said on Saturday that signing the framework was “not tomorrow,” according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
“The possibility of it happening in the next few days is not ruled out,” Bagai said, according to the Tasnim news agency. “However, given the precariousness of the situation on the other side, we must be cautious in making any statements regarding this process.”
CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey, Katherine Nichols, Mostafa Salem and Julia Benbrook contributed reporting.
