Iranian foreign minister says deal with U.S. "never been closer"

Pakistan says the United States and Iran have agreed on the wording of a deal aimed at ending their war, but the most sensitive parts of the agreement appear to still be under discussion.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that a Pakistan-brokered agreement with the United States "has never been closer." President Donald Trump shared Araghchi’s post on his own account, adding to the sense that the talks are advancing.

Even so, AP reported that neither Washington nor Tehran immediately confirmed a signed agreement after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had reached a "final, agreed upon text."

What Pakistan says

Sharif said on June 12 that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to the final wording of a peace deal. AP reported that Pakistan has been acting as a mediator in the talks and that the U.S. and Iran did not immediately comment on Sharif’s statement.

That leaves the public picture in an unusual in-between stage: enough reported progress to suggest a breakthrough, but not enough official confirmation to treat the deal as fully closed.

AP’s live coverage said the parties had agreed on final text, while U.S. officials also indicated that technical details would still need to be worked out after signing. The reporting points to a completed diplomatic framework, not a fully settled implementation plan.

What the deal could include

According to AP’s reporting, the emerging agreement is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, phase in sanctions relief on Iran and release frozen Iranian assets.

Those elements matter far beyond the immediate talks. Reopening Hormuz would affect one of the world’s most important energy and shipping corridors. Sanctions relief would have major economic consequences for Iran.

The handling of Iran’s enriched uranium remains the clearest unresolved nuclear issue. AP reported that a senior U.S. official said technical details on removing the stockpile would be addressed during a 60-day period after the agreement is signed.

Araghchi said on Iranian state TV that the nuclear terms would be finalized during that 60-day period and that the period could be extended. That adds to the sense that the talks are nearing a political deal while leaving the hardest nonproliferation questions open.

A fast-moving chronology

The diplomatic push comes against the backdrop of a wider conflict that AP said began when the U.S. and Israel launched the war on February 28.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7, according to AP, but the region has remained tense and the talks have moved forward amid continuing military and political pressure.

Against that backdrop, AP published reporting on June 12 saying Pakistan announced that the U.S. and Iran had agreed on the final text of a peace deal. Axios separately reported that Araghchi said a deal to extend the ceasefire, reopen Hormuz and begin nuclear talks was very close.

Trump’s decision to share Araghchi’s message underscored the political visibility of the moment, but it did not amount to a formal U.S. confirmation that the agreement is signed.

What remains unsettled

The biggest unresolved question is who would physically remove or control Iran’s enriched uranium under any final arrangement.

Another open issue is how much sanctions relief would come immediately and how much would be phased in over time. That timing will determine how quickly Iran sees economic benefit and how much leverage Washington retains after signing.

There is also uncertainty over the scope of the deal itself. Araghchi said the arrangement was being worked out on "all fronts, including Lebanon," but available reporting does not show a final public text spelling out how broad the agreement is.

That uncertainty is why the story is better described as a near-breakthrough than a completed settlement.

Why it matters

The stakes extend well beyond the bilateral relationship. If Hormuz reopens as reported, global oil and gas flows could stabilize after a period of disruption risk.

For Iran, sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets would be economically significant. For the U.S. and its partners, the nuclear track remains a core nonproliferation issue because the handling of enriched uranium can shape the limits of any future program.

Israel is not part of the talks and has said it is not a party to any U.S.-Iran deal, making regional reaction another factor to watch if the agreement is finalized.

For now, the strongest verified reading is that a Pakistan-mediated breakthrough is close, but the deal is not yet fully signed and the key nuclear details remain unsettled.