US government official: Chances of agreement with Tehran at “80 to 85 percent”
According to a government official in Washington, the US assumes “80 to 85 percent” that a peace agreement will be signed with Iran in the coming days. The deal would provide for “significant” easing of sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets, the senior administration official said in a phone call with reporters in Washington on Friday. In return, Tehran would agree to dismantle its nuclear program and hand over its nuclear materials.
“We’re not quite over the finish line yet, but we’re very close,” said the government official. A place and a date for a possible signing of the agreement have not yet been set. However, Europe, which US President Donald Trump had brought into play, is a possibility.
Switzerland is an ideal place to sign US-Iran agreements
Switzerland has offered to serve as a venue for the signing of an agreement between the United States and Iran. “Switzerland is fully mobilized. We are in close contact with the United States and Iran,” the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement to the AFP news agency on Friday evening.
As a mediator, Switzerland is supporting the efforts to reach a declaration of intent aimed at “consolidating the ceasefire and paving the way for de-escalation in the context of the conflict between Iran and the USA,” the ministry said in a statement. It “suggested Switzerland as a location for a possible signing if the parties agree”.
USA and Iran apparently agree on a peace agreement
According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the USA and Iran have agreed on the final version of a peace agreement. “We can confirm that there is a final, mutually agreed text of the peace agreement,” Sharif said on the online service X on Friday. Pakistan is now “working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps,” he added. Read more about it here.
Israel’s defense minister warns against concessions to Iran
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has expressed reservations about a possible agreement between the USA and Iran. US President Donald Trump is striving for an agreement that primarily serves American interests, Katz wrote on Telegram.
The USA and Israel have the common goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, explained Katz. However, Israel expects Washington to also take other security concerns into account. He mentioned Iran’s missile program and Tehran’s support of armed groups – Katz spoke of terrorists.
