Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Saturday that the United States and Iran have reached a framework for a peace agreement aimed at ending the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. This follows the finalization of the agreement's text.
Sharif stated on the 'X' platform, "We are closer to a peace agreement than ever before, with the expectation of concluding the deal within the next 24 hours."
He also noted that Pakistan is preparing to sign the agreement electronically, likely within twenty-four hours, with subsequent technical-level discussions planned for the week.
The Pakistani Prime Minister expressed confidence that the "historic agreement" between Washington and Tehran will establish "lasting peace."
On Friday, both the US and Iran indicated that a deal to end their conflict is imminent. An American official confirmed that both parties have agreed on the text, with the US expected to sign an initial agreement in the coming days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi mentioned that while changes to the text are still possible, the preliminary agreement signifies Iran's strengthened position post-conflict.
In an interview with state television on Friday, Aragchi said, "Once the final stages of our negotiations are complete, this agreement will be signed and announced," expressing optimism for this to occur shortly.
A senior US official estimated on Friday that there is an 80-85% chance of finalizing an agreement with Iran "in the coming days," emphasizing, "We're not at the finish line yet, but we're very close."
This conflict, ignited by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has exacerbated the Middle Eastern crisis, leading to thousands of fatalities predominantly in Iran and Lebanon, and unsettling the global economy.
An April 8 ceasefire briefly calmed tensions, although sporadic skirmishes have continued, involving US bombings in Iran and Iranian strikes targeting Gulf states, coupled with separate escalations between Israel and Iran, including missile and aerial attacks.