Iran, the United States and mediator Pakistan all have said that progress had been made in talks on ending the war.
Iran is focused on finalising a memorandum of understanding with the US aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
“Our approach has been to draft a 14-point memorandum of understanding that includes the most important issues necessary for ending the war and matters that are fundamental for us,” Baghaei said on Saturday.
“We are in the final stage of finalising this memorandum of understanding,” he added.
According to Baghaei, the key points of the proposed memorandum include ending the war, ending the US naval blockade, and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.
Iran signalled a convergence of views while noting that gaps remain.
He noted what he called "a trend towards rapprochement" with Washington but said, "It does not necessarily mean that the United States and we will reach an agreement on the important issues."
Baghaei also highlighted that Tehran and Washington “have not yet reached a joint timeline for an understanding.”
"Within a reasonable period of 30 to 60 days, the details of these points will be discussed, and a final agreement will ultimately be concluded. We are currently in the process of finalising these memoranda of understanding," he told state broadcaster IRIB.
Iran has included the ending of the US naval blockade and arrangements on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a draft framework for a deal with the United States.
"The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects addressed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding, but more importantly, ending the piracy carried out by the United States against international navigation," he said.
He also said that the nuclear issue was not part of the initial framework.
"At this stage, we will not discuss the details of the nuclear issue. We have decided to prioritise an urgent issue for all of us: ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," Baghaei told state television.
He added that the nuclear file will be "subject to separate discussions" at a later stage.
Pakistan
Pakistan confirmed "encouraging progress" towards a "final understanding" between the US and Iran.
"The intensive negotiations over the last 24 hours have resulted in encouraging progress towards a final understanding," a statement from the Pakistan army said, following the conclusion of a day-long visit to Tehran by the army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir.
Munir, who arrived in Tehran on Friday evening, for the second time in recent weeks, held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tehran's chief negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and others as part of Islamabad's ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting "de-escalation and constructive engagement," amidst the regional tensions.
US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was a chance Iran would accept a deal soon.
US President Donald Trump abruptly skipped his son's wedding to stay in Washington due to "circumstances about government", fuelling speculation that talks had entered a sensitive stage.
Rubio said there had been progress in negotiations but did not rule out Trump resuming attacks on Iran.
"There might be some news a little later today. There may not be. I hope there will be," Rubio told reporters in New Delhi during his first visit to India.
