Lead:

A potentially historic diplomatic breakthrough appears within reach as the United States and Iran move toward a formal agreement to end hostilities that erupted more than three months ago in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump publicly announced that a deal would be signed on Sunday, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed both sides had agreed on a framework. The development carries major regional implications, touching on nuclear commitments, the Strait of Hormuz, and broader Gulf security.

Details:

Al-Jazirah reported that President Trump declared on Saturday that the agreement with Iran was scheduled for signing on Sunday, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened immediately following the deal. Trump further indicated that Iran had agreed to relinquish its enriched uranium, with a plan in place for its disposal, according to Al-Yawm. The announcements came on the occasion of Trump's 80th birthday celebrations at the White House.

Iranian signals, however, introduced notable ambiguity. Al-Yawm reported a senior Iranian official confirming that Tehran had agreed in principle to abandon nuclear weapons ambitions. Yet simultaneously, Iran rejected signing any agreement on what it characterised as "Trump's birthday," framing the timing as politically inappropriate. Al-Watan reported that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated both Washington and Tehran had agreed on a ceasefire framework, lending third-party confirmation to the trajectory of negotiations.

Regional diplomatic activity surrounding the potential deal intensified. Al-Newsd reported that Egypt and Pakistan both welcomed what their foreign ministries described as positive momentum in the US-Iran negotiations, following a phone call between Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also received a call from his Pakistani counterpart to discuss regional developments, according to multiple Saudi outlets including Al-Newsd.

On parallel diplomatic fronts, Al-Jazirah reported Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warning that Lebanon faces an existential choice between building a sovereign state holding a monopoly on arms and remaining hostage to militia logic, an implicit message to Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was reported by Al-Watan to have urged Hezbollah to honour its commitments and prioritise Lebanon's national interest over Iran's. In Syria, the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of an individual linked to enforced disappearances in Daraa, according to Al-Jazirah.

Watch For:

Whether Iran follows through on Sunday with a formal signing or continues to condition agreement on procedural or symbolic objections, which could delay or derail the announced framework.

How any US-Iran agreement specifically addresses verified nuclear dismantlement mechanisms, particularly the fate of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, which remains a core point of contention.

The downstream effect on Hezbollah's positioning in Lebanon and the pace of Israeli withdrawal, given that a US-Iran deal could significantly alter the group's regional calculus and its relationship with Beirut.