A preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war could be finalised within the next 24 hours, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday (June 13, 2026), while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the signing of the agreement “in the coming days could not be ruled out”, though it cautioned that no date has been set.

“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week,” Mr. Sharif wrote in a post on X.

West Asia war LIVE updates - June 13, 2026

On Friday (June 12, 2026), Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media that a deal between Tehran and Washington “has never been closer”, a post later reshared by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has voiced similar optimism in recent days.

“We would like to thank United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations. We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” Mr. Sharif said.

Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the outbreak of the war, facilitating backchannel communications and helping broker ceasefire.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the ‘Islamabad Memorandum’ is focused on ending the war, which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28. While refusing to give a date for the signing of the deal, he urged caution, citing “hesitation” on the American side.

“We have to wait for the exact time of signing the memorandum; Although it will not happen tomorrow, the possibility of this happening in the coming days is not ruled out,” Mr. Baghaei said in a briefing in Tehran on Saturday (June 13, 2026), according to Tasnim news agency.

While final-stage negotiations are progressing, tensions flared over the Strait of Hormuz again on Friday night (June 12, 2026), with the U.S. military claiming that Iran fired drones at commercial vessels crossing the waterway.

“Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “The international trade corridor remains open for transit.”

On Thursday (June 11, 2026), after two nights of tit-for-tat strikes with the U.S., Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had announced that the strait had been closed to all traffic.

Foreign Minister Araghchi, while speaking on state television on Friday (June 12, 2026), laid out the Iranian perspective of the agreement. He said the U.S. and Israel were equipped with advanced weapons, including nuclear capabilities, but were “prevented by Iran from achieving their objectives”. “Naturally, after such a victory, it is necessary to consolidate it through an agreement or understanding,” he added, laying the ground for the agreement.

He said the last stage talks are taking place based on a 14-point memorandum of understanding. If the deal is signed, Iran’s frozen assets would be released, and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would be lifted. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, however, had said on Friday (June 12, 2026) that no cash would be released to Iran upon the signing of the preliminary agreement. He said Tehran would get economic benefits only if it honoured its commitments in the deal.

According to Mr. Araghchi, issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions on the country would be discussed in the second phase of talks, which is expected to last around 60 days. U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly said Iran’s highly enriched uranium should be taken out of the country as part of a final agreement.

Mr. Araghchi said in the interview that Tehran’s position was that the highly enriched uranium should be “diluted [downblending] inside the Islamic Republic”.

He also added that Lebanon, which is currently being bombed by Israel, is part of the deal. “We never forgot Lebanon in this war.” According to the Foreign Minister, a definitive conclusion of the war in Lebanon must include Israel’s withdrawal from the areas it has occupied.

Israel, however, said on Friday (June 12, 2026) that it would not withdraw troops from Lebanon, Gaza or Syria. “Israel will not withdraw from the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. The IDF will continue to defend our borders and our citizens from the peak of Mount Hermon, the mountains of Lebanon, the areas of our land in the Samaria region, and most of the territory of Gaza,” Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote in a post.