Iran signaled Saturday that negotiations with the United States are nearing a possible breakthrough but cautioned that key details remain unresolved, even as Pakistan said a deal could be finalized within 24 hours.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier Saturday that the United States and Iran had agreed on the final text of a peace agreement and that an electronic signing could take place within a day.
Pakistan has played a central role in mediating the talks between Washington and Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei struck a more cautious tone, saying it was too early to predict when an agreement might be signed.
"We must be cautious about making any comment about the signing date due to the hesitation of the other side," Baghaei said, according to Iranian state media.
Baghaei added that the possibility of signing an "Islamabad memorandum" in the coming days "cannot be ruled out," but stressed that no signing would occur Sunday.
"The exact time of signing the memorandum will not be tomorrow," he said.
The spokesman also said Iran's negotiating team does not plan to travel to Geneva or any other location in the coming days, according to state media.
Baghaei outlined several issues Tehran considers central to any final agreement.
He said the release of Iran's frozen assets is "an integral part" of the arrangement and indicated that future operations in the Strait of Hormuz would be addressed as part of the broader understanding.
According to remarks carried by Fars News Agency, Baghaei said Iran would continue managing safe maritime traffic through the strategic waterway "in line with protecting national security and the common good of the world community."
He also said Iran would charge for services provided in the strait, though he did not provide details about how such a system would operate.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil shipments.
Baghaei further said the presence of foreign military bases and forces in the region "must end," according to Fars.
The comments came as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia publicly welcomed what they described as progress in the negotiations.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the talks and welcomed the fact that U.S.-Iran negotiations appear to be in their final stage.
The latest statements suggest negotiators are closing in on a framework agreement, but lingering disputes over implementation, frozen Iranian assets, regional security arrangements, and maritime access continue to complicate efforts to finalize a deal.