From Axios, June 12:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that an agreement with the U.S. to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program "has never been closer."
Why it matters: Araghchi's comments on X were the most positive yet from Tehran about the prospects for a deal in the coming days, and appeared designed to prevent the deal from collapsing amid a battle to shape the narrative around it.
- Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, one of the key mediators between the U.S. and Iran, wrote on X that "an agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached" and Pakistan was working with the parties on next steps.
- A senior U.S. official told reporters in a briefing on Friday that "we're not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close." The official added: "We do expect to be signing this agreement over the next few days...I maybe would have said 75% this morning. It's probably more like 80- 85% now, but it's not 100%."
- Aragchi later told state TV that if a deal is agreed, it will be signed remotely rather than in a joint ceremony.
Driving the news: President Trump, who lashed out earlier on Friday over reports in Iranian state media about the contents of the deal, told Axios in a short call that he considered Araghchi's post "very positive."
- Trump said he'd demanded a public clarification over the state media reports, which claimed Iran stood to receive billions of dollars in frozen assets immediately after signing the agreement.
- Trump also claimed Iran had privately "apologized for putting out false information." It's unclear how any such message was conveyed.
- The president said he still thinks a deal could be signed over the weekend or on Monday.
What they're saying: "The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course," Araghchi wrote....
....MUCH MORE
