Trump claims Sunday signing for US-Iran ceasefire extension; Tehran disputes timeline

US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a memorandum of understanding to pause fighting between Washington and Tehran would be signed the next day, with the Strait of Hormuz reopening to commercial traffic immediately afterward. Iranian officials quickly pushed back on that timeline, saying any formal step remained days away at best and subject to further internal review. The competing statements reflect the fragile state of negotiations that have run through third-party channels for more than three months of conflict.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has hosted much of the recent diplomacy, echoed Trump’s Sunday target and described preparations for an electronic signing. Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Sunday to press for final language, according to two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Those officials described the emerging text as a 60-day framework that would extend the current ceasefire, halt new attacks across multiple fronts including Lebanon, and set the stage for technical talks on Iran’s nuclear program and frozen assets.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media that no signing would occur Sunday and that political, legal and technical assessments were still underway. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said earlier in the week that the document contained 14 points, beginning with the removal of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iranian state outlets reported that the text also addresses the fighting in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have conducted strikes on Beirut suburbs in recent days.

The proposed understanding leaves the most difficult issues for later discussion. It does not commit either side to limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment or to the release of Iranian funds held abroad. Trump’s social-media post referred to a future stage in which “Nuclear Dust” would be removed from Iranian sites once conditions stabilized, but no timeline or verification mechanism has been agreed. Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries have framed the current text as a necessary pause rather than a comprehensive settlement.

The conflict has already disrupted energy markets through the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trade normally passes. Shipping analysts expect any verified reopening to ease spot-price volatility, though insurance costs for tankers would likely remain elevated until both sides demonstrate sustained compliance. Global growth forecasts have already been revised downward by several major banks citing higher energy prices and supply-chain uncertainty.

Israeli officials have expressed frustration at being excluded from the main channel of talks. Strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon continued over the weekend even as the US-Iran discussions advanced. Iranian leaders have insisted that any durable arrangement must address the Lebanese front, a demand that further complicates coordination with Israel.

Both Washington and Tehran have incentives to claim progress while preserving leverage. Trump faces domestic pressure to show results after weeks of military posturing, while Iranian negotiators must navigate internal factions wary of appearing to concede too much. The gap between the announced Sunday target and Iran’s more measured statements suggests the final text may still shift before any electronic signatures are exchanged.