Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said that the signing of a framework agreement with the United States will not take place on Sunday, though it could still happen in the coming days, as uncertainty continues to surround the timeline of the deal.
Speaking to Iranian state media, Baghaei stressed that while progress has been made, the process remains fluid.
“It will not happen tomorrow, but it could take place in the coming days,” he said, adding that due to what he described as the “inconsistency” of the other side, caution was needed in commenting on the negotiations.
His remarks come amid contrasting signals from different stakeholders involved in the talks. Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, earlier indicated that a potential framework could be finalized within 24 hours, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stating that the region was “closer to a peace deal than ever before.”
A source familiar with the negotiations also told international media that an electronic signing could take place as early as the next day, reflecting expectations in some quarters that an agreement is imminent.
However, Iranian officials have pushed back against the accelerated timeline, emphasizing that no final signing is scheduled for Sunday. Baghaei also clarified that the emerging document is not a final agreement, but rather a memorandum outlining key points of disagreement and areas of convergence, intended to pave the way toward ending hostilities.
On the other hand, officials in the United States have expressed growing confidence that a deal is near, with the White House describing the agreement as close to completion, even as final details remain unclear. The framework is expected to address major issues including regional security arrangements and economic restrictions, though significant technical and political gaps are still believed to remain between the two sides.
Iran and Oman are expected to release a joint statement on the future of the Strait of Hormuz “soon,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday.
The reopening of the waterway is expected to be a part of a prospective agreement between the US and Iran.
The strait has effectively been closed by Iran since the US and Israel began the war back in February. It is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Both Iran and Oman have Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the strait.According to the United Nations, a state has “sovereign rights” to explore, exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources of the waters in its EEZ.
However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), “ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.”
A coastal state should not “hamper the innocent passage of foreign ships through the territorial sea,” it says, except in specific outlined scenarios. It may “take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent,” UNCLOS outlines as reported by the CNN
