ISLAMABAD: Tehran has “not yet” made a final decision on signing an agreement under discussion with the United States to end their months-long war, Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Sunday, after Pakistan said the deal was closer than ever before and it was preparing for an electronic signing of the document.
The development came as the Israeli military said it had launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut on Sunday, potentially complicating diplomatic efforts led by Pakistan, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and other regional allies, to end the war that began in late Feb. and is currently paused under a ceasefire reached on Apr. 8.
The prospective agreement has also faced opposition from some Iranian figures, who argue that it does not serve Iran’s interests and would deprive Tehran of leverage over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which is used to supply a fifth of global energy cargoes and has seen disruptions since the war began in late Feb.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet taken or announced its final decision concerning the memorandum of understanding proposed during negotiations,” reported Fars, which is close to Iranian conservative circles, citing “a well-informed source close to the Iranian negotiating team.”
US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Saturday that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed the next day, his 80th birthday.
“Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X.
Smoke rose over the Lebanese capital after the Israeli military strikes on Sunday, and the Civil Defense said it retrieved three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble.
Iran threatened a military response.
The deal in its current form is a deep disappointment to Israel’s government. The last time Israel struck Beirut suburbs a week ago, it set off the most serious escalation of fighting between Iran and Israel since the tenuous ceasefire took hold.
There was no immediate White House comment on Israel’s strikes, though Trump earlier pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop hitting Lebanon hard while the deal was near, but the prime minister has defied him.
Separately, Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday there was “no point” in continuing peace talks with the US after its ally Israel attacked Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfil your commitments, then there is no point in talking about continuing down this path,” he said, against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to finalize the peace deal between the warring parties.
