Iran has refuted claims of a preliminary ceasefire agreement with the United States, which U.S. President Donald Trump announced alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, cautioned against making definitive statements regarding the timing of any agreement.
“We will have to wait to see the exact date for signing the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” Baghaei was quoted as saying by state media on Saturday.
Despite this, he did not rule out the possibility of an agreement being reached in the near future. “It cannot be excluded that this could happen in the coming days. However, due to the hesitance of the other side, we must be cautious in making any comments regarding this process,” he added.
On Saturday, Pakistan, acting as a mediator in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, announced the signing of a peace agreement between the two nations would take place the following day, June 14. This statement was made by Prime Minister Sharif.
President Trump also indicated that an agreement was imminent, stating on social media that the document would be signed “tomorrow.” Among the terms of the agreement, Trump mentioned Iran’s commitment to abandon its nuclear ambitions. However, Iranian officials indicated that discussions regarding their nuclear program were still ongoing and would be postponed.
Reuters notes that this is not the first instance where both parties appeared close to a preliminary ceasefire agreement. Previous announcements by Trump promised swift peace agreements, which ultimately did not materialize.
Iran has denied that it has signed a preliminary ceasefire agreement with the U.S., contradicting claims made by President Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif. While the Iranian Foreign Ministry indicated the possibility of an agreement in the near future, discussions on Iran's nuclear program remain unresolved.