Senior Iranian officials indicated that a deal was likely, one G7 source said, while another said the deal would take the form of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), rather than a final agreement.

It comes as G7 leaders are set to meet next week in the French Alps. Geneva, in Switzerland, is nearby and being floated as a potential signing location.

An official said Iran had yet to confirm readiness for a signing ceremony, and that communications between its government and the US had been slow since the war began in February.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said: “We have not yet reached a conclusion on this matter.”

Iran’s Tasnim state news agency said the MOU was yet to receive approval from the Islamic Republic’s senior leadership.

The country’s Mehr news agency published a draft deal with the US which, if adopted, would secure the release of $24bn in frozen assets within a 60-day period. The country would maintain the right to enrich uranium under any final agreement with the US, following 60 days of negotiations.