US-Iran Deal Details Leak: War Could End Within Days
The United States and Iran are reportedly close to a deal that could end the war, with a memorandum to cease hostilities potentially signed within days. A Western source familiar with the talks told Reuters on Friday that the memorandum could be signed as early as Sunday, with Geneva, Switzerland, emerging as the most likely venue. The language of the agreement is still being finalised, but Iran maintains its position that the deal must not only end the conflict between Washington and Tehran but also halt the fighting in Lebanon, where Israel continues to battle the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. The source explained that negotiators are working to complete the entire text of the document by Saturday so that it can be signed by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf.
The development came a day after US President Donald Trump announced he had called off plans for new strikes on Iran because a deal was now ready. “We just reached a major settlement on the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. However, details emerging from the Iranian side suggest Tehran appears to have secured most of its demands, while Trump has not yet obtained many of Washington’s previously stated objectives, aside from the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed following US attacks in February.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters the draft agreement includes the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports, the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, and a cessation of hostilities across all conflict fronts, including Lebanon. According to the source, the nuclear issue will not be part of the current memorandum and will be addressed in separate future negotiations. Washington has long demanded guarantees that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons, while Iran has repeatedly stated its nuclear programme is not intended for weapons production. Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the terms also include major concessions from Washington, such as a commitment to withdraw American forces from around Iran and the formulation of an economic recovery plan for the war- and sanctions-ravaged country. “The United States and its allies must submit a reconstruction plan for Iran worth at least US$300 billion,” the Mehr report stated. As of Friday, the US government had not issued an official response to the details provided by the Iranian source.