Lead:
A potential landmark agreement between the United States and Iran moved to the forefront of regional diplomacy on Saturday, with President Donald Trump publicly announcing that a deal to end months of conflict would be signed on Sunday — and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened immediately thereafter. The announcement reverberated across capitals from Islamabad to Beirut, drawing cautious optimism from some parties and pointed skepticism from Tehran itself.
Details:
According to Al-Jazirah, Trump confirmed on Saturday that a deal with Iran was expected to be signed Sunday, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened directly following the agreement. The statement marked one of the most direct public declarations from the U.S. side since hostilities began more than three months ago.
Al-Watan reported that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed both Washington and Tehran had agreed on a framework to end the conflict, suggesting the deal was imminent. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar separately held phone calls with both his Saudi and Egyptian counterparts, according to Al-Bilad and Newsd, discussing regional developments and the state of negotiations. Egypt and Pakistan both welcomed what they described as "positive momentum" in the U.S.-Iran talks.
However, Al-Youm reported that Iran moved to temper expectations, with Iranian officials publicly stating they did not anticipate signing any understanding with Washington within 24 hours. The divergence between Trump's confident timeline and Tehran's measured public posture introduced uncertainty into what had appeared to be an accelerating diplomatic process. Al-Youm also reported that Trump separately outlined a plan for the disposal of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, indicating that technical arrangements were at least partially under discussion.
On the Lebanese front, Al-Jazirah reported that President Joseph Aoun issued a stark warning about Lebanon's precarious position, calling the current moment an "existential threshold" requiring a choice between a sovereign state holding a monopoly on arms or continued subordination to militia logic. Al-Watan added that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam formally called on Hezbollah to honor its commitments, prioritize Lebanese national interests over those of Iran, and align with the government's efforts to secure an Israeli withdrawal.
Watch For:
Whether Iran issues any formal confirmation or counter-proposal before the Sunday deadline, which would clarify whether a deal is genuinely imminent or whether the gap between U.S. and Iranian positions remains substantive.
How the reported agreement's terms — particularly regarding enriched uranium disposal and the Strait of Hormuz — are received by regional stakeholders, including Gulf states and Israel, whose security calculus is directly affected.
Whether Lebanese political dynamics shift in response to any U.S.-Iran deal, given that Hezbollah's posture is widely seen as contingent on directives from Tehran.