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

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding to pause hostilities with Iran would be signed the following day, with the Strait of Hormuz reopening immediately afterward. Iranian officials quickly pushed back, stating that no signing would occur on Sunday and that political and technical reviews remained incomplete.

The proposed framework, mediated primarily by Pakistan with support from Qatar, would extend the current ceasefire for 60 days while allowing technical talks on more contentious issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and frozen assets. It also calls for an end to fighting across fronts, including Lebanon, where Israeli forces have continued operations against Hezbollah targets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the document as containing 14 points, beginning with the lifting of US restrictions on Iranian ports.

Trump’s Truth Social post framed the agreement as imminent and warned of an unspecified “ultimate alternative” if talks collapsed. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the Sunday timeline, noting preparations for an electronic signing. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei countered that the exact date remained undecided and stressed the need for caution given hesitation from the other side. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday to assist final touches, according to regional officials familiar with the talks.

The more than 100-day conflict has already produced thousands of casualties, triggered a global energy crisis through the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and darkened economic forecasts worldwide. The proposed deal does not address core disputes over Iran’s uranium enrichment or sanctions relief, leaving those matters for later negotiation. Iranian state media reported that internal reviews of the US proposals were still underway, with no final decision reached.

Israeli strikes on Beirut suburbs continued even as the US-Iran talks advanced, with the Israeli military citing Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel. Iran has insisted that any lasting agreement must encompass Lebanon, a demand that has left Israeli officials sidelined from the Pakistan-led process. Trump separately suggested that enriched uranium stockpiles would be removed once conditions stabilized, though no timeline or verification mechanism was provided.

Regional officials expressed cautious optimism that the memorandum could halt active fighting, yet they acknowledged the agreement’s limited scope and the risk that disagreements over nuclear matters or enforcement could derail progress. Both Washington and Tehran have offered differing accounts of what has been committed to in writing, adding further uncertainty to the already fragile timeline.