Trump says Iran peace deal could be signed by Sunday, with strait of Hormuz to open shortly after

A gathering in support of the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, on 12 June. Photograph: Majid Saeedi/ View image in fullscreen A gathering in support of the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, on 12 June. Photograph: Majid Saeedi/ Trump says Iran peace deal could be signed by Sunday, with strait of Hormuz to open shortly after US president says in online post he reserves ‘ultimate alternative’ if Tehran refuses to sign agreement Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is set to sign a new agreement with Iran the following day, claiming that the deal would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, as well as reopen the strait of Hormuz to international shipping. In a Truth Social post, Trump said that Iran “no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one, either through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement”. The statement added: “The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL. Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous Administrations have had … Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!” Iran, the US and mediators had suggested earlier on Saturday that a preliminary peace deal could be signed within days to end the three-month war in the Middle East, though they gave differing timelines and versions of its text. Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, said on Saturday that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing within 24 hours to be followed by technical-level talks next week. “We are closer to a peace deal than ever before … We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” Sharif wrote on social media. However, Esmaeil Baghaei, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, counselled caution. “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” Baghaei was quoted as saying. “The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out.” Recent days have seen the most intense clashes between Iran and Israel and the US since a ceasefire came into effect in April. Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to seize Iran’s oil export terminal of Kharg Island and launch a new wave of attacks, then suddenly claimed a diplomatic breakthrough, saying a draft deal had been “approved” by “the highest level of Iranian leadership”.