President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal to end the war with Iran is nearly complete and will be announced “shortly.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump stated that the “final aspects” of the agreement are still being negotiated. His comments mark the strongest signal yet that the United States is ready to accept a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to stop the fighting.
Progress After High-Level Calls
Trump’s statement came after a busy day of phone calls with several world leaders. He spoke separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Arab and Muslim leaders strongly urged Trump to accept the deal. One regional source said the clear message was: “Please stop the war for the benefit of the whole region.”
Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been leading mediation efforts, met with top Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday. While no final agreement was reached during his visit, Pakistan reported “encouraging progress.” The latest draft of the deal came out of these Iran-Pakistan talks, with help from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey to close remaining gaps.
What the Deal Would Include
The proposed agreement would:
- End the current war
- Gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz
- Lift the U.S. blockade
- Release frozen Iranian funds
- Begin 30 to 60 days of more detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues
A U.S. official told Axios the deal is nearly finished, with only some wording issues left to resolve.
Mixed Reactions
Not everyone supports the emerging agreement. Several hawkish Republicans have spoken out against it in recent hours. Netanyahu has also expressed strong skepticism and has encouraged Trump to launch new strikes on Iran instead. Trump, however, said his call with Netanyahu went “very well.”
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were both called back to Washington on Saturday to join meetings about the deal.
Trump’s Shifting Outlook
Earlier in the day, Trump told Axios the chances of reaching a “good” deal were about 50/50. By Saturday evening, his public comments suggested the odds had improved significantly. He had been scheduled to meet with negotiators to review Iran’s latest offer and decide whether to resume military action.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that the two sides are in the “final stage” of talks on the memorandum of understanding.
Mediators hope to finalize the one-page framework agreement and announce it as soon as Sunday, followed quickly by the longer negotiations.
This is a developing story.