The U.S. and Iran signalled on Friday that an agreement to end three months of war was close, with a U.S. administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington expected to sign an initial deal in the coming days.

The Reuters Inside Track newsletter is your essential guide during the World Cup. Sign up here.


Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing to be followed by technical-level talks next week.

Sharif suggested ​the initial deal could be signed on Sunday, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was later quoted by state media as saying caution was needed when commenting on the timing.

"We will have ​to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow," Baghaei was quoted as ⁠saying.
"The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out. However, due to the hesitation of the other side, we must be cautious in making any comments about this process."


The two ​sides have repeatedly appeared close to an initial agreement on ending the war without signing a deal, but Sharif said on X: "We are closer to a peace deal than ever before."

U.S. President Donald Trump did not ​immediately comment but reposted Sharif's post.