Pakistan says US-Iran peace deal could be finalised within 24 hours

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Iran has denied reports suggesting that its delegation is due to travel to Geneva or any other country in the coming days.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Tehran’s negotiating team has no scheduled foreign visits planned, dismissing speculation about imminent talks abroad.

The statement comes amid ongoing diplomatic discussions involving Iran, with officials seeking to clarify that no overseas meetings are currently on the agenda.

Here is a concise recap of the key developments so far on 13 June:

• US–Iran peace deal progress: Pakistan, acting as a mediator, says the United States and Iran have agreed the final text of a peace framework, with a formal signing reportedly expected within the next 24 hours and follow-up technical talks next week.
• Qatar welcomes breakthrough: Doha has expressed optimism over the reported agreement, praising Pakistan’s mediation efforts and saying it hopes both sides will sign the deal soon.
• Middle East conflict developments: Despite diplomatic momentum, regional tensions continue, with Israeli military activity and ongoing strikes reported in southern Lebanon.
• Lebanon escalation: Israeli forces issued fresh evacuation orders affecting more than 20 locations near Nabatieh and Jezzine, with continued air and drone strikes reported across the south.
• Casualties reported: Lebanese authorities say at least five people have been killed in separate Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon, alongside injuries including a Lebanese soldier.
• Strait of Hormuz tensions: Maritime security remains volatile after reports of a tanker being struck off the coast of Oman, prompting a UKMTO warning and renewed concern over shipping routes.
• Wider geopolitical backdrop: The diplomatic push between Washington and Tehran continues against a backdrop of regional escalation, with Lebanon remaining a major sticking point in negotiations.

US President Donald Trump will meet with Middle Eastern leaders and attend a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the G7 summit in France next week, news agency Reuters reported on Saturday- citing US administration officials.

Officials said Trump would meet separately with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, France and India. No bilateral meeting was planned with Zelensky but the two leaders could meet on the sidelines of the summit, they added.

Trump planned to raise issues of shared importance with leaders at the summit, including economic growth and development, supply chain resilience, illegal migration and AI, one of the officials said. He also planned to work on boosting resilience in the supply chain for critical minerals needed for advanced technologies.

Trump planned to attend a dinner at the palace of Versailles on Wednesday before returning to Washington, the officials said.

A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said.

The UKMTO Operations Centre reported that the vessel was hit in its port bow while operating in waters near Oman.

Authorities have issued a maritime security warning following the incident, though no further details about the source of the projectile or potential damage have yet been confirmed.

The situation is being monitored as investigations continue into the attack.

UKMTO WARNING 068-26

Click here to view the full warning.⤵️ https://t.co/bM6hKKiHCt#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/ALBP98gU96

— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) June 13, 2026

Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said Tehran will “stand firm until victory”, marking the anniversary of last year’s 12-day war.

In a statement, Ghalibaf accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilians during the conflict and said they had committed “crimes and cruelty” without restraint.

He said Iran would remain steadfast in the face of pressure, adding: “Inspired by the heroic and oppressed martyrs of the 12-Day War, we stand firm until the end for the glory and ultimate victory of our dear Iran.”

The comments come as Iranian officials continue to mark the anniversary of the brief but intense conflict, reiterating their commitment to resistance against external pressure.

Qatar has expressed optimism that a peace agreement between the United States and Iran will be signed soon, following reports that negotiators have finalised the text of a proposed deal.

According to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed the latest regional developments during a telephone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday.

The two leaders reviewed Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at reducing tensions and promoting stability across the region.

During the conversation, Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the progress made in the negotiations and noted Pakistan’s announcement that the final text of the peace agreement had been completed. He expressed hope that Washington and Tehran would move quickly to sign the deal.

The Qatari prime minister also reaffirmed Doha’s full support for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully, stressing the importance of all parties engaging constructively to create the conditions necessary for a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement.

Qatar has played an active diplomatic role throughout the regional crisis and continues to support initiatives aimed at securing stability and reducing the risk of further escalation.

Nearly 100 British MPs and peers have called for the cancellation of a London event promoting the sale of property in Israeli settlements, arguing that it could place the UK at risk of complicity in violations of international law.

The Great Israeli Real Estate Event is scheduled to take place in London on Sunday, although organisers have not publicly disclosed the venue.

The appeal was made in a letter signed by parliamentarians and addressed to the government, urging ministers to prevent the event from going ahead.

Publishing the statement on X, Labour MP Andy McDonald said the government had an opportunity to uphold its obligations under international law by taking action against what he described as Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

The letter argues that the event is closely linked to Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories and facilitates the sale of land that campaigners say was taken from displaced Palestinians.

Nearly 100 MPs and peers call on ministers to stop London event selling off Israeli settlement land this weekend.

See @SkyNews 👇https://t.co/DsvUoiV2Vp pic.twitter.com/PU2GENT39h

— Andy McDonald MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East (@AndyMcDonaldMP) June 12, 2026

The Israeli military says it has struck more than 70 targets across southern Lebanon during the past 24 hours, claiming the attacks targeted Hezbollah fighters and military infrastructure.

In a statement posted on X, the army said it had killed several Hezbollah members and destroyed rocket launchers, operational facilities and other buildings used by the group.

According to the Israeli military, more than 70 Hezbollah-linked sites were hit during the latest wave of operations.

The claims come amid continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon. Earlier reports indicated that at least five people were killed and a Lebanese soldier was injured in separate strikes across the region.

Iran's foreign ministry said Saturday that an expected memorandum with the United States to end hostilities would not be signed on Sunday, state media reported.

"We have to wait and see about the exact time of signing; although it will not be tomorrow," ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to the IRNA news agency.

"The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out," he added, after mediator Pakistan said Iran and the United States could finalise the deal within 24 hours

The United States and Iran appear close to a deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday the US and Iran agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators were working with both sides to finalize a deal.

Here's what to know:

• Iran's nuclear program terms to be finalized within 60 days of the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the terms of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed and that the parties could decide to extend that period.
• The deal will reportedly include conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said Iran wants a deal that allows Tehran to charge ships “for services rendered” when they transit the Strait of Hormuz.
• The agreement is allegedly set to include Iranian sanctions relief, according to The Associated Press, as the emerging deal is also expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. 

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has mediated between Iran and the United States to end their war, said on Saturday a peace deal would "likely" be finalised within 24 hours.

"We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week," he said in a post on social media platform X.

The Lebanese army on Saturday withdrew its troops from a base in a southern Lebanese village after Israeli troops advanced in an area nearby, a military official said.

The departure from the army barracks in Kfar Tebnit came as the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for about 20 locations, including the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages.

A senior Lebanese military official told The Associated Press that the Lebanese army moved its forces from the Kfar Tebnit barracks following an incursion by Israeli forces into the area. The official, who did not elaborate, spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israeli troops were likely trying to capture the strategic Ali Taher hill on the edge of Kfar Tebnit that overlooks large parts of Nabatiyeh and some of the roads that link the city with nearby villages.

Israeli troops held the Ali Taher hill for 18 years until they withdrew from Lebanon in May 2000.

In late May, Israeli troops captured a nearby strategic mountain topped with the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle in the deepest incursion into the country since 2000.

The push on the edge of Kfar Tebnit came a day after Pakistan’s prime minister said that the United States and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV on Friday that both sides were working toward signing an initial agreement declaring an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon.”

Senior Hezbollah official Hussein Haj Hassan told Al Jazeera TV that they have been informed by Iranian officials that Lebanon will be part of a future ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran.

Funeral for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad on July 9, state media reported on Saturday.

Khamenei, was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in February. His death marked the end of more than three decades at the helm of the Islamic Republic.

The United Arab Emirates has denied reports that it agreed to release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, according to CNBC.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the claims were “entirely false and unfounded”, stressing that no frozen Iranian assets had been released, transferred, or facilitated through the country.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have killed at least four people, including a municipal mayor, amid a renewed wave of air and drone attacks across several districts.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Ali Badie, the mayor of Ar-Rihan municipality in the Jezzine district, was killed in an Israeli strike. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.

Two additional fatalities were reported following an Israeli air raid on Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatiyeh district, which also destroyed a residential building.

Separate drone strikes targeted the municipalities of Ar-Rihan and Kfar Hounah in Jezzine. In Kfar Hounah, a van was reportedly struck, though details of casualties were not immediately confirmed.

Further attacks were also reported in the southern town of Khiam, as Israeli operations expanded across multiple areas.

Lebanon’s state media said additional strikes hit Qasiba in Nabatieh, al-Sarirah in Jezzine, and Majdal Zoun in the Tyre district, alongside artillery shelling in several locations.

US President Donald Trump reportedly halted a proposed military operation aimed at seizing Iranian enriched uranium, according to CNN and two sources familiar with the matter.

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is said to have made a secret and urgent visit to US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida last month to review detailed plans involving the potential deployment of ground forces into Iran to secure highly enriched uranium, a key material used in nuclear weapons production.

The sources said the briefings were of such sensitivity that Caine was recalled from a NATO meeting in Brussels and flown back to Tampa on 19 May for urgent consultations.

According to the report, the high-level discussions indicate how close the US administration may have come to approving a highly risky military operation. The Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to comment on the alleged planning.

One source said General Caine later presented operational options to Trump, who ultimately decided to pause the plan after being warned it could trigger a severe Iranian response, prolong the conflict, and destabilise the global economy. Concerns were also raised about potentially heavy US military casualties.

The reported planning came amid Trump’s repeated claims that Washington and Tehran were nearing an agreement on nuclear issues, including arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz.

A Palestinian man has been killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday morning.

Local and medical sources told The New Arab that the victim was identified as Muawiya Al-Aidi, a young man who worked for the Bureij municipality. The strike reportedly took place near a waste disposal site at the southern entrance to the camp.

Sources said an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at the location where the two men were standing, killing Al-Aidi instantly and seriously injuring the other individual, whose condition has been described as moderate to critical.

Medical teams transferred the deceased and the wounded to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp, before plans were made to move them to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Scotland’s First Minister was targeted by an Israeli-linked firm accused of spreading online disinformation ahead of the Holyrood election, according to the BBC, citing a French government agency.

John Swinney and the Scottish National Party (SNP) were allegedly targeted through accounts linked to BlackCore, a technology company that claims to “shape narratives”.

French authorities have accused the firm of attempting to smear pro-Palestine election candidates.

France’s online disinformation monitoring service, Viginum, said hundreds of fake accounts were used to post coordinated comments on Swinney’s social media activity.

According to Viginum, at least 256 accounts were involved in coordinated activity, generating around 1,400 comments across posts from Swinney, the SNP and the Scottish Government.

The French report also linked BlackCore to online influence operations in other countries, though it said it had not identified who commissioned the activity.

Israel’s embassy in Paris said in a statement it was awaiting further details from the French investigation, adding that Israel does not interfere in domestic political processes.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, to discuss ongoing efforts to end the US-Israel war on Iran.

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides expressed hope that an early and constructive outcome would be reached in the ongoing engagement between the United States and Iran.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator in talks between US and Iranian officials.

The call followed recent discussions between Ishaq Dar and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the ministry added.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday, shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for 20 locations, including the city of Nabatiyeh.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli airstrikes in several areas covered by the evacuation warning, including the villages of Rihan and Sujud, located near Nabatiyeh.

The United States said it downed multiple Iranian drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday, hours after both sides said a deal to end the Middle East war was closer than ever.

The interception came after weeks of halting talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Pakistan, that have been marked by threats and exchanges of fire despite a fragile truce agreed in April.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the region, posted on X that Iran had "launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz".

"US forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded," it said.

CENTCOM added that the Strait of Hormuz -- a key maritime trade route for oil and gas from the Gulf -- "remains open for transit", despite an Iranian-enforced blockade since the start of the war.

• The United States and Iran signalled on Friday that a deal to end their war is close, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that although changes to the agreement are still possible, the draft outcome suggests Iran has emerged stronger from the conflict.
• Despite diplomatic progress, violence continues across the region. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have persisted, with at least 3,711 people reported killed since the escalation began on 2 March.
• Israel has renewed its military activity in south Lebanon, carrying out air strikes on two locations in the districts of Tyre and Nabatiyeh.
• The Israeli military issued sweeping forced displacement orders covering more than 20 locations across Nabatiyeh and the Jezzine districts.
• Residents in multiple towns and villages have been ordered to evacuate immediately, amid warnings of further escalation.
• There has been no sign of de-escalation in Lebanon, despite earlier assurances from Iranian officials that the country would be included in a ceasefire framework and a broader memorandum of understanding.

Welcome to The New Arab’s live coverage of the war in the Middle East.

We are following the latest developments in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, alongside Israel’s continued military invasion of Lebanon.

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