'The deal is scheduled': Trump says US-Iran peace deal is due to be signed within 24 hours
Donald Trump claims the key global shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz is due to reopen to all marine traffic ‘immediately’ after the deal is signed
Donald Trump says that a peace deal between the US and Iran will be signed tomorrow - indicating that a resolution to the conflict may be closer than ever.
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The US President also claimed that following the agreement being signed, the Strait of Hormuz would be 'open to all.'
The waterway - through which one-fifth of the world's oil is transported - has been virtually closed since February 28.
The president made the announcement on Truth Social on Saturday, where he claimed his relationship with Iran was "much different and better" than that of previous administrations.
He wrote: "The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.
"Our relationship with Iran is a much different and better one than previous Administrations have had."
He went on to threaten that if the peace process fails, "we have the ultimate alterative, hopefully never to be used again". The US president is expected to travel to France ahead of the G7 on Monday, by which time he hopes to have a deal secured, reports suggest.
The president's claims have been disputed by Iran's foreign ministry, after spokesperson Esmail Baghaei claimed that the deal would not be signed Sunday, but "could take place in the coming days".
He claimed that Iran remains committed to ending the war on all fronts, and added that discussions on the country's nuclear capabilities would begin during a 60-day period following the finalisation of the agreement, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
On Saturday, the United States and Iran signalled that an agreement to end their war was close, with a senior US administration official saying both sides had agreed on a text and that Washington expects to sign an initial deal in the coming days.
Previously, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the exact timing of the signing of the Islamabad memorandum will not be on Sunday, according to state media on Saturday.
Baghaei said the possibility of signing the Islamabad memorandum in the coming days could not be ruled out, but added that caution was needed regarding any comment on the signing date due to the hesitation of the other side.
At least one person was killed on Saturday following a strike on the town of Marrakeh, located in Lebanon's Tyre district, according to local media.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that while changes in the deal were still possible, the tentative agreement showed his country had emerged stronger from the conflict.
"Iran is the winner of the war with the US," he said on state television on Friday.
Hours after those remarks, US forces shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drones had posed a threat to commercial traffic. US Central Command later confirmed the action and said the waterway was open.
The proposed memorandum of understanding calls for reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, sources on all sides of the talks said.