The United States and Iran say a deal to end the war is within reach and while the final text has been agreed, key steps are still pending.
Published June 13, 2026
Iran and the United States appeared to be inching closer to a deal to end the war on Friday, with officials saying a deal could be near.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the memorandum of understanding with the United States was “closer than ever” and urged the media not to speculate about its contents until it was finalized. US President Donald Trump later reposted Aragushi’s remarks after dismissing reports about the deal as “fake news.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is helping to mediate the negotiations, said a “final agreement document” had been drawn up but some “next steps” still needed to be completed.
Here’s what happened:
in iran
Lebanon ceasefire ‘litmus test’ for US-Iran deal: Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Val said Alaghushi acknowledged that there were some differences within Iran’s leadership over the draft memorandum of understanding, but said they could be addressed and an agreement could be reached soon. The first phase of the agreement includes a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, an end to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and a mechanism to unfreeze Iranian assets. Val said securing and maintaining a ceasefire in Lebanon will be a key test of the deal’s success. Iranian official claims $24 billion in frozen assets could be unfrozen: State media reported, citing senior official Mohsen Rezaei, that President Trump has agreed to unfreeze $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, but has not publicly acknowledged it. President Trump has so far denied Iranian reports about the proposed deal, calling them “fake news.”
in the US
Signing of the deal with Iran is likely to be just days away despite President Trump’s tougher tone: Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reports that President Trump has accused Iran of leaking “false” and inaccurate details of the proposed deal to Iran, describing the Iranian government as “a huge disgrace” and urging it to “get its act together” quickly. Despite the sharper rhetoric, U.S. officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, said progress was being made and Iran could receive a bounty if it met agreed-upon “criteria.” US says it intercepts Iranian drones over Strait of Hormuz: Centcom announced that the US military shot down multiple Iranian attack drones allegedly targeting commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that maritime traffic through the vital trade route was uninterrupted. Trump seeks ‘exit’ from Iran war, analysts say: Reporting from Washington, D.C., Mike Hanna said President Trump’s change in rhetoric underscores his desire to secure a deal with Iran and move beyond the conflict. He said the deal could offer the president a way to avoid the political and economic costs of prolonging the war.
in lebanon
No signs of slowing down in Lebanon: Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett reports that Israel has resumed attacks on towns in the Tire and Nabatieh districts and has issued “widespread evacuation orders” affecting more than 20 communities in the Nabatieh and Jezzine districts. He said the escalation suggests the fighting “shows no signs of slowing down” despite assurances from Iran that Lebanon would be included in the proposed cease-fire agreement. Former US diplomat says Lebanon remains a key test for any deal: Henry Ensher told Al Jazeera that Iran has long viewed Lebanon as a foreign policy “instrument” and warned that Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a “process”. He warned that there were still “many possibilities for things to go wrong” and stressed that any agreement between the United States and Iran would be “at best an agreement to start a process” rather than a final solution.
