US and Iran signal a peace deal is close

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DUBAI/WASHINGTON/PARIS: The United States ​and Iran signalled on Friday that an agreement to end ​their war was close, with a senior U.S. administration official ⁠saying a text was in place that both sides like.

Iran’s ​decision-making bodies were meeting to discuss the memorandum, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson ​said.

Pakistan, which has for weeks sought to broker a deal, said a final text of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran had been reached.

“Pakistan is ​now working closely with both sides to finalise the next steps,” ​Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X.

Leaked terms of the proposed ‌memorandum ⁠of understanding outlined by Western, Pakistani and Iranian sources on Friday appeared to favour Iran, drawing criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who dismissed the reports as inaccurate.

While there were minor differences in the accounts, ​all appeared to ​offer Tehran much ⁠of what it has demanded so far, with Trump appearing to win little beyond the reopening of the ​Strait of Hormuz, which Iran shut after the ​U.S. and ⁠Israel launched attacks in February.

However, a senior U.S. administration official said the deal was specific about opening the strait and the removal of enriched ⁠nuclear material.

​The official said Iran will get significant ​sanctions relief based on how they perform under any deal.