Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Thursday that the Islamabad memorandum focuses on ending the war and deliberately excludes the nuclear issue from this stage. He stated the signing timing remains uncertain, ruling out tomorrow but not the coming days, and urged caution in commenting due to what he described as hesitation from the American side, according to Iranian state media.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei offered the clearest public confirmation yet that the so-called Islamabad memorandum — the emerging US-Iran understanding mediated by Pakistan — deliberately decouples the nuclear file from an immediate end-of-war agreement. Speaking Thursday, Baghaei said the nuclear issue has been set aside for a later stage, a move that aligns with earlier remarks by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told Iranian media Wednesday night that the nuclear question was deferred to the final phase of the MOU. Baghaei volunteered a note of caution on timing: a signing on Friday is ruled out, but a signing in the coming days remains possible, while he also flagged what he termed 'hesitation from the American side' as a reason for uncertainty.
Taken together, the spokesperson's comments fit the pattern of conflicting yet converging signals that have characterized the thread since Tuesday evening. As The Zioneer has reported across multiple bulletins, Iranian officials have alternated between confirming that most points are agreed and denying that a finalized text exists. The earliest version of this thread (June 12, 22:43 Jerusalem) reported Araghchi's insistence that the enriched uranium stockpile would be resolved in a final agreement, with dilution inside Iran the only option. By 22:42 on the same date, the thread captured Araghchi stating specifically that the nuclear issue was deferred to the final stage and that the MOU covers ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon — detail Baghaei echoed Thursday.
The backdrop to the evolving stance includes a June 11 bulletin (23:57 Jerusalem) in which Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said a deal would be signed only when it serves Iranian interests, amid a flurry of conflicting signals. A June 12 bulletin (20:43 Jerusalem) reported the ministry's announcement that talks are at an advanced stage with most points agreed. The current thread also aligns with a senior US official statement reported on June 12 (16:57 Jerusalem) expecting a signing 'in the coming days' and removal of all enriched uranium — a position that contrasts with Iran's stated preference for dilution inside Iran.
The unanswered question remains whether Washington accepts a phased deal that leaves the most contentious issue for later. Baghaei's explicit reference to 'US hesitation' suggests the American side may not yet be on board with deferring the nuclear file, leaving the timeline for signing — and the scope of any final agreement — still in flux.
8 developments
- DevelopingIran says Lebanon ceasefire text finalized, US will compel Israel to end war
- StrongIran conditions war-ending deal on Lebanon's inclusion
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official to Al-Hadath: US-Iran deal 'not end of game', asked to preserve military freedom in Lebanon
- DevelopingNo official confirmation released on reported US-Iran deal terms for Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake