International Desk (EFE).- Following days of uncertainty, contradictory reports, and even reciprocal attacks, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday an «agreed upon text of the peace deal» between Iran and the United States.
US government sources had previously indicated the possibility of an imminent agreement, potentially to be signed in the coming days, while Iran, through its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, admitted that a memorandum of understanding to end the war was close.
Expectations on an imminent agreement
On Thursday, US president Donald Trump had announced his country settled a «great» peace deal with Iran. While the agreement awaits formalization, it could be signed this weekend in Europe, potentially at an event Trump himself may not attend.
«We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,» Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. «We’re going to be subject to finalization of documents. We should get done over the next few days. Probably have a signing maybe in Europe.»
The president noted that Vice President J.D. Vance will attend the signing during the weekend. Trump will be hosting a sporting event at the White House on Sunday to celebrate his 80th birthday before traveling to Europe for the G7 Summit, which begins on Monday.
A senior Administration official added that the US hopes to sign an agreement with Iran in the coming days to end the conflict, fulfilling core objectives set by president Trump, such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz and laying the groundwork for dismantling the Iranian nuclear program, according to a senior Administration official.
In response, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged caution but acknowledged that the statements are encouraging for ending a conflict that began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran and entered an unstable ceasefire on April 8.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that a «memorandum of understanding» with the United States «has never been closer» and indicated that details would be shared «at the appropriate time.»
«The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer. Pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,» Araghchi stated in a post on X.
Pakistan announces «final text»
Finally, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that an «agreed upon text» for the Iran-US peace agreement had been reached, also via a post on X.
«We can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached and Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps,» Sharif affirmed on the social platform.
«Peace has never been this close as it is now,» added the Pakistani head of government.
Global markets rally
European stock markets celebrated the initial agreement announced by the US to end the conflict with Iran, with indices rallying around 2%.
The IBEX 35, Spain’s benchmark index, was the top-performing European market, posting a 2.59% gain, which propelled the index to a new closing record of 18,764.4 points.
Across the region, the Euro Stoxx 50 benchmark index gained 2.16%, driven by widespread optimism throughout the continent.
Before European markets opened, Asian markets closed with significant gains, also driven by the same optimism. The South Korean Kospi led the region with a 4.63% increase.
In the same vein, Brent crude, the European benchmark, fell 3.37% to $87.33 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US benchmark, dropped 3.23% to close at $84.88. EFE
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