Iran and US say deal is close as Lebanon fighting continues
Iranian and US officials have signalled that a deal to shift a rocky 60-day ceasefire towards a broader peace and cooperation agreement is close, with Pakistan saying the text could be finalised within 24 hours. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks had "never been closer", while urging caution about speculation before any formal announcement. The latest comments come as commemorations are being held in Tehran for senior commanders killed in last year's war with Israel.
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Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a "final, agreed-upon text" had been drawn up, although some next steps still need to be completed. The supplied material says the negotiations are being carried out through intermediaries, after direct talks in Islamabad collapsed in April. It also says the current diplomacy is taking place against the backdrop of a wider conflict that has already involved military exchanges and repeated claims that a breakthrough was imminent.
The reported progress matters because the talks are linked to military activity, sanctions, frozen assets and nuclear diplomacy, and could also affect Lebanon. The supplied rows say the earlier draft could release US$24 billion in frozen Iranian assets and include 60 days of negotiations on a nuclear deal. They also say the proposal may touch on Kharg island, a major oil export facility, which gives the talks potential implications for energy infrastructure and export routes.
The wider context is a year of heavy losses for Iran, which the supplied material says has been marked by the killing of senior military figures and nuclear scientists in the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025. Those commemorations are now being used by Iranian authorities to frame the current negotiations alongside a narrative of resistance and sacrifice. The material also says more than 1,000 Iranians were killed in the US-Israeli bombing campaign, including several hundred civilians and dozens of children, while government figures put the toll in the current war at at least 3,468.
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The latest diplomacy is therefore being watched not only as a bilateral issue, but as part of a broader regional security picture. The supplied rows say the war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February, and that the conflict has continued to shape politics, public messaging and mediation efforts ever since. They also say the talks have moved through Pakistan's mediation after earlier direct discussions broke down, underlining how limited the channels remain between Tehran and Washington.
What remains unclear is whether the reported final text is the same version both sides are discussing, what the next steps will be, and whether any signing or formal announcement is imminent. It is also not clear how much of any agreement would be made public, or whether the reported progress can hold if the remaining issues are not resolved quickly. For now, the key question is whether the reported deal can be turned into a confirmed agreement without the talks stalling again.
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