Iran Says No U.S. Deal Is Near

(MENAFN) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei pushed back firmly on Friday against any suggestion that nuclear diplomacy with the United States is nearing a resolution, even as senior Pakistani officials arrived in Tehran to facilitate bilateral exchanges.

"The ongoing (diplomatic) process and the senior Pakistani officials' presence in Tehran do not mean that we have reached a turning point or determining situation," Baghaei told a state-run news broadcaster, as Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held talks in the Iranian capital.

The spokesman was unambiguous in tempering expectations: "We cannot say to have reached a point where an agreement is close; not necessarily, that is not the case," he said, citing divisions between Tehran and Washington that are "deep and numerous," and stressing that diplomacy requires time.

Baghaei further clarified that the current round of negotiations is focused on achieving a comprehensive end to hostilities across all active fronts, including Lebanon — and confirmed that Iran's nuclear program is not part of the discussions at this stage. He also called for the status of the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. strikes on Iran-linked vessels to be placed on the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, media, citing informed sources, reported Friday that a prospective peace agreement between Iran and the United States would encompass nine clauses. According to media, the draft includes an immediate, comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire on all fronts, guarantees against targeting military, civilian or economic infrastructure, cessation of military operations, and an end to the media war. The draft also stipulates respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, freedom of navigation in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, and the establishment of a joint monitoring and conflict resolution mechanism.

The diplomatic push comes weeks after Iran, the United States, and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8, ending 40 days of hostilities that erupted following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. A subsequent round of peace negotiations held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough. Since then, both sides have reportedly exchanged multiple proposed frameworks for ending the conflict, all channeled through Pakistani mediators.

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