REUTERS, Dubai, Washington

US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan yesterday said an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East would be signed today, although Iran denied the signing would take place so soon.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing today, to be followed by technical-level talks next week.

“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform yesterday.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing.

“We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding, although it will not be tomorrow,” state media quoted Baghaei as saying.

“The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out. However, A

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