June 13, 2026, 06:28June 13, 2026, 06:28
According to both sides and Pakistan’s mediator, the USA and Iran are close to an agreement to end the war. “We can confirm that a final text of the peace agreement, agreed by all sides, has been reached,” wrote Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the online platform X.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.Image: keystone
However, such an agreement would initially only be the starting point for in-depth negotiations. Their most difficult sticking point: Iran’s nuclear program. A solution to this issue is expected to be reached within 60 days, according to reports from both countries.
But a new incident in the Strait of Hormuz shows how difficult the situation remains. The US military reported several Iranian drone attacks on merchant ships in the Persian Gulf strait early this morning. “The US armed forces have shot them all down in the last few hours, while shipping traffic continues to flow unhindered through the strait,” said the responsible US regional command Centcom on X.
Iran’s Foreign Minister: Agreement within reach
According to US President Donald Trump, the documents for a first framework agreement should be completed shortly and perhaps signed this weekend – possibly in Europe. However, a senior US official made it clear on Friday that it was not yet clear whether this would actually happen. Most of those responsible in Iran are in favor of an agreement, “but not all”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on Platform X that a declaration of intent was within reach. “The media should refrain from speculating about its content until it is finalized,” he added.
According to Trump, the planned agreement envisages opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global trade in oil, gas and fertilizer. According to media reports, this step should be completed within 30 days – and in return, according to Trump, the US blockade of Iranian ports will be lifted.
Is Iran dismantling its nuclear program?
According to a senior US official, the agreement should also lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program – and the United States receiving the enriched uranium that could otherwise theoretically be used to build nuclear weapons, as not only Israel’s government fears. The US official explained that the material should be rendered harmless on site and then taken out of the country.
The political leadership of the Islamic Republic always asserts that it is not seeking nuclear weapons. However, Israel’s government does not believe these assurances. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has to fight for office in elections in four months, emphasized, according to his office, that as long as he is head of government, “Iran will not have nuclear weapons. President Trump and I are in complete agreement on this issue.”
Deal would be a “bitter pill” for Netanyahu
According to media reports, Netanyahu was convinced from the start that the war against arch-enemy Iran, which his country launched together with the USA on February 28, could trigger a change of power in Tehran. Now his domestic political rivals are accusing him of having turned Israel into a “vassal state” by accepting Trump’s peace conditions, writes the US news portal “Axios”. For Netanyahu, Trump’s agreement with Tehran would be a “bitter pill,” the portal headlined.
One fear in Israel is that after signing the framework agreement and ending the war, Iran could simply drag out the negotiations without making any real concessions on the nuclear issue.
USA sets conditions for economic compensation
Frozen Iranian assets abroad could be released again – but, according to the US, only if Tehran has previously provided something in return. It was said that if Iran cooperates accordingly, sanctions could be relaxed in the future. The USA is also demanding that Iran end its support for allied militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the US statement, Iran has already agreed to stop funding terrorist groups in the region.
Iran, in turn, has made a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon a priority, in addition to releasing its frozen foreign assets and lifting sanctions. How their monitoring could be recorded in the framework agreement is unclear. (sda/dpa)