Iran Rejects Trump’s Sunday Signing Timeline Amid Mediation by Pakistan

Diplomatic friction regarding the timeline of a potential U.S.-Iran agreement intensified over the last 24 hours. While President Trump publicly signaled that a memorandum of understanding could be signed as early as today, Iranian officials and military-linked sources have explicitly rejected that schedule. Tehran characterized the talks as unfinished, signaling a more cautious approach to the negotiations than the narrative presented by Washington. Despite the disagreement on the signing date, Pakistan has taken a prominent role as a diplomatic process manager. Reporting indicates that Islamabad is facilitating technical negotiations and preparing for a potential electronic signing ceremony. The primary incentive for the deal remains the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which President Trump stated would occur immediately upon the finalization of the memorandum. The core of the U.S. position continues to focus on nuclear non-proliferation, with the White House asserting that any finalized agreement would prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. While technical talks are expected to continue into next week, there are currently no reports of new military strikes or fresh sanctions packages, as the focus remains squarely on the procedural hurdles of this third-party mediated diplomacy.