Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that peace with Iran was imminent only to resort to further strikes and threats when a deal fails to materialise.

The US and Iran have agreed the final text of a deal to end the war and re-open the Strait of Hormuz, according to Pakistan’s prime minister.

Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator in the talks to end the conflict, said “peace has never been this close” despite a string of contradictory briefings on Friday.

“We are fully aware of incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal,” Mr Sharif said in a statement. 

“Setting aside the noise, we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalise the next steps. Peace has never been this close as it is now.”

Earlier on Friday, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said in a post on X that the end of the war “had never been closer.” President Donald Trump later posted a screenshot of the post on his Truth Social account.

Despite the optimism from both sides, publicly their negotiating positions remain far apart. Iranian and US negotiators have accused one another of acting in bad faith.

Mr Trump said a version of the agreement published by Iranian media bore no relation to the truth describing Iranians as “very dishonourable people to deal with.”

“With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith,” the president said in a post on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Iran accused the US of repeatedly betraying the diplomatic process and likened the negotiations to a game of snakes and ladders, where progress is undone by Washington’s behaviour.

“It is clear to everyone which side has had good faith and which side has not, and it is America that has always betrayed diplomatic processes,” Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, said. 

Iran compares talks to ‘snakes and ladders’

Iran has accused the US of repeatedly betraying the diplomatic process and has likened the negotiations to a game of snakes and ladders, where progress is undone by Washington’s behaviour.

Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said that although the US had accused Iran of failing to negotiate in good faith, the opposite was in fact true.

“It is clear to everyone which side has had good faith and which side has not, and it is America that has always betrayed diplomatic processes,” he said.

He added: “Because of the unconventional behaviour of American officials, these negotiations have turned into a kind of snakes and ladders.”

“In many places we reach an understanding, but suddenly, because of the other side’s behaviour, we go back to lower rungs.”

He rejected the idea that recent optimistic comments by Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, were tied to US-imposed deadlines and insisted they had “absolutely no connection.” 

Mr Baghaei said most issues had been agreed and that Iran was in the final stages of internal review, with relevant bodies meeting as he spoke with state TV.

7:30PM

Iran: Our red lines have remained unchanged

Iran’s foreign ministry said its red lines in negotiations with the United States had remained unchanged throughout the process.

Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said Iran had laid out its core demands from the outset of the Pakistan-mediated talks. 

“From the very beginning of the negotiation process mediated by Pakistan, we stated our positions and said which matters are fundamental and red lines for us, and our positions in this regard have been constant,” he told state TV.

He placed responsibility for the delays on the US. 

He said: “The problem is that the other side constantly changes its positions, makes contradictory statements, and adds new issues, all of which prolong the entire diplomatic process.”

7:18PM

On the ground in Iran

A worshipper holds a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during Friday prayer in Tehran, Iran Credit: Majid Asgaripour

A woman walks past an anti-American mural on the wall of the former US Embassy, which now houses a museum, in Tehran, Iran Credit: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

7:06PM

Analysis: Divisions are already appearing in Iran

The proposed peace deal with Washington has not been signed, yet the fight over it has already begun inside Iran.

Hidden divisions became public on Friday when Mahmoud Nabavian, deputy head of the parliament’s national security committee, attacked the draft framework as riddled with ambiguities and “against national interests.” 

He objected that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen without full Iranian sovereignty or transit tolls, questioned the vague terms of the $300bn reconstruction fund, and warned against diluting Iran’s enriched uranium or conditioning its nuclear programme on US consent.

The negotiating team fired back publicly. A member of its media unit insisted Hormuz “will never return to its pre-war status – we gave blood for it,” and accused Mr Nabavian of skipping over parts of the text.

A third pole with Iran is centred around the country’s clerical hardliners. In Mashhad, influential Friday prayer leader Ahmad Alamolhoda said no agreement is valid without the supreme leader’s personal signature – a demand that hands sceptics an effective veto. The supreme leader does not, in fact, sign such deals. 

Though he holds ultimate authority over every lever of the state, the office of velayat-e faqih is regarded as a sacred trust – its holder a representative of God and the Hidden Imam on Earth, placed above the grubby bargaining of worldly affairs.

Ali Khamenei never signed the 2015 nuclear accord – he set red lines, let his government own the document, then distanced himself from it.

With pragmatists seeking breathing space, hardliners playing for time, and commanders guarding their leverage, the deal may be most hotly debated within Tehran.

6:59PM

Pakistani army chief ‘drafted agreement’

Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir appears to have played a central role in drafting the text of the potential agreement between the US and Iran. 

Faisal Vawda, a Pakistani senator close to his country’s leadership, told the New York Times the field marshal was involved in shuttle telephone diplomacy between Mr Trump and Iran.

“The drafting was done entirely by him on his own personal laptop,” the senator said.

6:49PM

Pakistani PM warns of ‘misinformation campaign’

Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister, said mediators were aware of a sustained misinformation campaign by those seeking to derail a peace deal between Iran and the United States.

“Amid ongoing intense mediation efforts by Pakistan, we are fully aware of incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal,” Mr Sharif wrote on X.

He did not name those he was referring to. But opposition to an agreement has surfaced on several fronts. 

In Tehran, hardline clerics and lawmakers have attacked the draft framework as a betrayal, with some demanding it carry the supreme leader’s signature. 

In Washington, sceptics have questioned the terms, while Donald Trump has sent conflicting signals, alternately touting an imminent deal and threatening to “finish the job.”

The sharpest resistance has come from Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed any settlement, and his country is not a party to the talks.

Pakistan has emerged as the lead mediator, alongside Qatar.  Mr Sharif said earlier that a final peace text had been prepared. 

6:12PM

Hezbollah rejects Lebanon-Israel talks

Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations between the Lebanese government and Israel, labelling them an attempt to impose Israeli conditions on Lebanon.

The militant group also warned that a ceasefire would be “meaningless” without an Israeli withdrawal from the country.

Hassan Ezzeddine, a lawmaker from the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc in Lebanon’s parliament, said the direct talks had no connection to Hezbollah.

He said any outcome from direct negotiations between the Lebanese state and Israel was “not worth even the ink it is written with,” and urged the government to retreat from “the mistake of direct negotiation with the enemy.”

5:27PM

Final version of agreement has been reached, says Pakistan PM

Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, said a final version of the peace agreement had been reached.

“We can confirm that a final and agreed version of the peace agreement has been achieved, and that Pakistan is now working in close cooperation with both sides to complete the next steps,” he said, adding further to the confusion about the prospect of a peace deal being signed in Geneva on Sunday.

“Peace has never been closer than it is now.”

Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani PM, said peace between the US and Iran had never been closer Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

5:03PM

Vance pushes back on Iranian agreement claim

JD Vance, the US vice-president, who some sources suggested would sign any peace deal, echoed Mr Trump’s criticisms of Iran’s 14-point draft agreement.

“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting. The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies concerns are prioritised, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region,” he wrote.

“I’ve noticed a couple of bizarre things in the reporting over the last few hours. First, people who (rightly) said Donald Trump was a historic president a month ago now criticising a deal based on unconfirmed media reports. Second, people who say you can’t trust a word said by the IRGC who apparently believe anonymously sourced social media posts.”

4:50PM

Iran denies deal will be signed in Geneva on Sunday

Iran has denied reports that a final deal with the United States had been reached and would be signed in Geneva on Sunday, calling the reports “entirely false”.

A source close to Iran’s negotiating team told the semi-official Fars news agency that statements by Donald Trump and some foreign media that the deal was finalised and set to be signed in Geneva were untrue.

“The claims raised by Trump and some foreign media that the agreement has been finalised and is to be signed on Sunday in Geneva are absolutely not true,” the source said.

The source added that the review and decision-making process in Iran had not yet concluded, and that both the Sunday date and the Geneva location were “completely denied”.

4:22PM

Iran’s foreign minister says deal has ‘never been closer’

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said an agreement with the United States was closer than ever. 

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” Mr Araghchi wrote on X, referring to the deal being mediated by Pakistan. 

“Pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content.”

He said all details would be shared with the public “in due course.”

“In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course.”

4:18PM

Qatar secretly sought to shield gas complex from Iran, report says

Qatar pursued secret back-channel talks with Iran early in the war in an effort to keep its vast Ras Laffan natural gas complex off Tehran’s target list, according to a Washington Post report.

Under the proposed arrangement, Iran would refrain from striking the facility while Qatar halted gas production on its own – a move that would drive up energy prices and pressure the United States and Israel to shorten the war.

Qatar did not secure a commitment, and an Iranian missile barge later damaged the plant, which supplies nearly a fifth of the world’s gas.

Qatar closed Ras Laffan early in the fighting, citing attack threats. Qatar denied pursuing any secret deal, calling the suggestion “categorically false” and an attempt to sabotage its mediation efforts.

The attempted deal shows how energy has become a central weapon in the war, with the Gulf states viewing their sway over global supplies as leverage from the outset.

That contest has strained Washington’s closest partners in the region. Donald Trump has threatened Oman, a US ally and a key mediator, warning it could be destroyed if it helps Iran charge fees or jointly manage passage through Hormuz.

“The strait is going to be open to everybody,” Mr Trump said last month. “It’s international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that, they’ll be fine.”

4:11PM

Deal ‘very close’, says senior Trump official

Kellie Meyer, the White House correspondent of NewsNation, insisted a deal was close, despite Donald Trump’s latest remarks.

Writing on X, she said: “No Iran deal yet but ‘very close’, a senior Trump administration official tells me. I am told the White House feels “confident that we will be signing this in the next few days”.

Quoting a “senior administration official”, she added that under the deal “the highly enriched uranium will be destroyed. Long-term commitment that Iran cannot procure a nuclear weapon.

Meaningful inspection process. Iran cannot fund terrorism. The Hormuz Strait will be open.

“Iran’s assets will not be immediately unfrozen. Iran must meet its commitments first.”

Earlier Adam Schiff, a Democratic congressman, said Mr Trump lacked credibility on Iran as confusion over the “deal” continued.

“This is the problem when the president squanders his credibility by telling falsehood after falsehood throughout this presidency and his last, and that is the American people really don’t know when to believe him,” he told Kaitlan Collins, the CNN host.

“And I don’t think there’s anything strategic about that ambiguity,” he said. “It doesn’t make us stronger that we can’t trust our own president.”

3:46PM

Hardline cleric insists no deal is valid without supreme leader’s approval

A senior hardline cleric said no agreement or commitment with the United States would be acceptable to Iranians unless personally signed and approved by supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the supreme leader’s representative in Khorasan Razavi province and Mashhad’s Friday prayers leader, told worshippers at the Imam Reza shrine that “no understanding or commitment is acceptable” without the leader’s signature, down to “the smallest member of our nation”.

He dismissed Donald Trump’s declaration that the war had ended, calling it “as hollow as the ceasefire before it”.

He said: “We do not forget the enemy’s enmity. Despite all this talk, America is our enemy and will not easily abandon its hostility towards us – especially now that it has seen the courage of our fighters and the collective resistance of our people, a people who for more than 100 nights made the streets the centre of the war against the enemy. It is natural that its enmity towards us has grown even greater.”

3:34PM

Trump: Iranians ‘very dishonourable’

White House: Iran agreed to just five points in ‘performance-based’ deal

The White House claims Iran agreed to just five points, including no longer funding terrorist proxies.

A US official told The Telegraph that the deal was “performance-based”, meaning it would only receive sanction relief if it met certain criteria.

1. Nuclear material will be destroyed and removed

2. Nuclear program will be dismantled

3. None of their money released until they perform

4. Strait of Hormuz will be open

5. No Iran funding of terrorist groups

Netanyahu in ‘full agreement’ with Trump on blocking Iran from nuclear weapons

Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s prime minister, said on Friday that he and Donald Trump were in “full agreement” on keeping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“As long as I am prime minister of Israel, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he said in a statement. “There is full agreement between me and President Trump on this issue.”

Mr Netanyahu made the comments after saying late on Thursday that the US president had given him a “commitment” that the final agreement with Tehran would include the removal of Iran’s enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production and the cessation of Iran’s support for its proxies in the region.

This remains unlikely, with reports from Iran stressing that Tehran would only negotiate over its nuclear programme “solely within the framework of the Islamic republic’s fundamental principles”.

IRNA reported that “Iran’s right to enrich uranium and the retention of enriched material... will be emphasised with a view to their inclusion in the final agreement”.

Iran maintains that it is not trying to develop a nuclear weapon.

1:43PM

Hezbollah certain that any US-Iran deal will include Lebanon

Hezbollah is confident that Iran will insist on ⁠Lebanon being included in a deal with the United States, a senior Hezbollah politician said on Friday.

Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, entered the regional conflict in support of Tehran on March 2, opening fire at Israel and prompting an Israeli offensive that has killed thousands of people in Lebanon.

Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted on an end to fighting in Lebanon as part of any wider agreement.

“If the agreement happens, we have complete confidence in the Islamic Republic ... ‌we ‌have confidence that ⁠it will insist on any agreement including the file of Lebanon,” Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said in an excerpt of a speech broadcast by the group’s al-Manar TV.

1:33PM

Iran insists on nuclear enrichment under any deal with US

Iran insisted on Friday on its right to enrich uranium and maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz under any deal with the United States, after president Donald Trump said a draft accord was ready.

US ally Israel has said that Mr Trump had promised it that any agreement would see Iran stripped of its enriched nuclear material, but Tehran’s official IRNA news agency said this was not even on the table.

Leaked Iran-US draft shows core terms unchanged since war began

Newly published details of a 14-point draft agreement between Iran and the United States suggest Tehran’s core demands have changed little since the war erupted.

The draft calls for an immediate, permanent halt to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, the lifting of the US naval blockade and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under Iranian arrangements, and the suspension of oil and petrochemical sanctions with full access to Iran’s funds.

It also seeks US and allied reconstruction plans worth at least $300bn, the withdrawal of American forces from around Iran, and the release of $24bn in frozen assets – half before talks begin.

A 60-day window would follow for a final deal on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

Notably, the draft removes Iran’s missile programme and support for regional armed groups from the agenda entirely.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the text still required review and finalisation by relevant Iranian bodies.

Tehran would not cede control of Hormuz under draft deal, says Iran’s media

Iran’s state media said on Friday that under a draft agreement with the United States, Tehran would not give up control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran makes no commitment in this text to cede the management of the strait or the restoration of conditions that existed prior to the American and Israeli military aggression,” according to the official IRNA news agency, which referred to “the broad outlines of the current text” being finalised.

11:52AM

Source: Telegraph