Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Wednesday evening that Tehran is in the final stages of drafting and concluding a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached through Pakistan-mediated talks with the US. Speaking at a press briefing, Baghaei said the relevant institutions and bodies within Iran are currently meeting to finalize the text, while acknowledging that the claim of being 'very close to understandings' is not new. He also noted that contradictory statements from the other side have been a problem throughout the process.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Wednesday evening (20:48 Jerusalem) that Tehran is in the final drafting stages of the MOU text reached through Pakistan-mediated talks with the US. Speaking at a press briefing, Baghaei said relevant institutions and bodies within Iran are currently meeting to finalize the text. He acknowledged that the claim of being 'very close to understandings' is not new, and noted that contradictory statements from the other side have been a problem throughout the process.
This statement marks the latest in a rapid sequence of pronouncements from the same podium. At 17:55, The Zioneer reported the spokesman declining to confirm the text of any MOU and saying no final decision had been reached. That itself followed a version (17:55) in which Baghaei said Tehran was in the final stages of an internal summary of the understanding. The thread began at 17:55 with Foreign Minister Araghchi's assertion that the MOU was 'closer than ever,' a claim Baghaei has since tempered. The source remains the spokesman's own on-record statements, reported by Iranian state-aligned media — no independent verification of any draft text or U.S. acceptance has been provided.
As The Zioneer reported on June 11 (23:36 and 23:57), Iran has repeatedly cycled between signaling near-completion and disclaiming final approval. Baghaei's current framing — drafting in progress, no signed instrument — echoes that pattern. The Pakistan-mediated channel has been a recurring backdrop: Pakistan PM Sharif said on June 8 that a 'final objective' was near (The Zioneer, 18:15).
What remains open: whether the ongoing internal meeting produces a definitive announcement or further delays; whether the U.S. has accepted the current draft; and whether any formal signing is imminent.
8 developments
- DevelopingIran's Foreign Ministry spokesman: We'll sign a deal only when it serves our interests
- DevelopingIranian Foreign Ministry: Supreme authorities to decide on any potential understanding
- DevelopingIran says final review of agreement text underway
- StrongIran says US talks at advanced stage, most points agreed
Source and signal
- Internal intake