Anadolu staff
25 May 2026•Update: 25 May 2026
Pakistan is confident that the United States and Iran could sign a temporary agreement to end the conflict as early as this week, Pakistani government sources familiar with the matter told Anadolu on Monday.
“Signing off the agreement is expected any day this week, as the two sides stand disagreed only on some operational issues,” a Pakistani government source said.
“It’s not kind of a deadlock,” the source added, saying both sides had “in principle” agreed to a “single-page” draft deal while continuing discussions on operational matters concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.
According to the sources, the remaining differences concern implementation rather than broader political principles.
“The key dispute at the moment is the military presence of the US forces near Iranian territorial waters even after end to the blockade,” one source said.
The source added that Washington wants to maintain a military presence in the region, while “Tehran wants a pre-war scenario.”
The sources said Pakistan, together with regional mediators, is seeking a compromise formula to bridge remaining differences.
‘Good faith, commitment from all sides’
Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran and Washington had reached conclusions on a “large part” of the issues under discussion but cautioned against assuming a deal was imminent.
“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues under discussion,” Baqaei told reporters in Tehran.
“But to say that this means the imminent signing of an agreement, no one can make such a claim,” he added.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said Monday there could be developments in negotiations soon.
“Work still in progress. We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today …,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.
Pakistani sources said the two sides would likely ultimately reach an interim agreement “sooner or later,” but cautioned that maintaining such a deal could prove significantly more difficult.
They said a second phase of talks would likely address more contentious and technically complex issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, management of enriched uranium stockpiles and long-term arrangements regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
The sources said reaching agreement on such “highly complex” matters -- particularly nuclear-related issues -- would not be “a walk in the park.”
They added that mediators have already proposed several possible frameworks for addressing the nuclear issue, including a model similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and third-party monitoring mechanisms involving the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“It always requires good faith and commitment from all sides to settle down such complex issues,” a source said.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation and was later extended by Trump indefinitely.
