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FOR a few hours on Saturday, it appeared that the long diplomatic effort led by Pakistan to end the US-Iran war was approaching its culmination.

President Donald Trump spoke of signing an agreement on Sunday, while Pakistani and Qatari mediators echoed the same with high confidence.

Interestingly enough, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also remarked that a deal had never been closer. Still, within hours, Tehran publicly pushed back against reports that a signing ceremony was imminent, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei making it clear that no agreement would be signed that day.

Still, as these lines were being written, it was not clear whether the delay was temporary or whether the negotiators were struggling to bridge differences that remain unresolved. Such uncertainty, in any case, isn’t unusual in diplomacy especially when it is taking place between arch rivals like the US and Iran.

MoU looks driven less by reconciliation than by exhaustion

Even so, the broad contours of the proposed arrangement are now sufficiently visible to assess what kind of agreement is taking shape and why it is generating sharply different reactions among the stakeholders.

The first point to understand is that the proposed memorandum does not appear to be a peace agreement in the conventional sense. It has not been, as per the details leaked so far, formulated to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, settle issues pertaining to sanctions, address the regional balance of power, or settle the future of Iran’s regional partners and allies.

Instead, it is emerging as an armistice plus framework essentially prepared to stop escalation, reopen the Strait of Hormuz for restarting regional trade halted due to hostilities and create a structured negotiating process for unresolved disputes.

That distinction matters because the agreement is being driven less by reconciliation than by exhaustion of the warring sides. The emerging arrangement, therefore, looks less like a grand bargain and more like a temporary stabilisation mechanism reached after a costly confrontation in which neither side achieved enough to justify prolonging the conflict.

The most defensible reading of the draft texts and public statements available so far is that the agreement would establish a renewable 60-day truce built around a limited number of practical measures.

Those measures include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, removal of obstacles affecting maritime traffic, gradual easing of the American blockade affecting Iranian shipping and ports, temporary sanctions waivers, partial release of frozen Iranian funds and the launch of a diplomatic process to address more difficult questions at a later stage.

Therefore, a conservative reading of the imminent deal is that its immediate objective is to restore stability in the Gulf rather than resolve the disputes that produced the war.

The nuclear issue

American officials continue to present the process as a pathway towards eventual dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program and disposition of its highly enriched uranium stockpile. Iranian officials, meanwhile, insist that the memorandum presently under discussion is focused on ending hostilities and restoring stability, while nuclear issues would be addressed separately at a later stage.

The available drafts appear to reflect this contradiction rather than resolve it. References reportedly exist to future discussions on stockpile management, downblending and longer-term enrichment restrictions, yet the same texts suggest that the nuclear file is effectively deferred until after the expected MoU takes effect.

Diplomatically speaking, it is a process agreement intended to create conditions under which such negotiations might later become possible.

The same caution applies to reports that the imminent MoU includes mutual non-attack guarantees and non-interference commitments in Iran’s domestic affairs by the US.

Economic terms

The economic component of the proposed MoU is equally important. According to details circulating in diplomatic and regional circles, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial navigation without imposing transit tariffs on passing vessels, although it would be able to charge for ancillary services such as fuel, insurance, port support and environmental protection measures.

The arrangement would also create a pathway for the release of approximately $12 billion in Iranian assets frozen abroad, though not entirely in the form Tehran had originally sought. Iranian negotiators reportedly pressed for direct access to the funds, while the US wants a mechanism under which a substantial portion of the money would be used only for humanitarian purposes.

Draft texts circulating in diplomatic circles contain language relating to reciprocal restraint and respect for sovereignty. However, these provisions remain unconfirmed and should be best seen as draft level formulations rather than established commitments. Their inclusion, if it finally happens, would carry considerable political significance, particularly for Tehran, but one can only hope that they will survive into the final text.

These issues, besides others, may explain the reluctance by the relevant stakeholders despite visible diplomatic momentum.

Some commentary in Iran has attributed the objection to signing on Sunday to symbolism. Those pushing this notion suggest that Tehran may be reluctant to hand President Trump a diplomatic success on his birthday. Similar explanation has also been given for having the MoU digitally signed. Tehran doesn’t want to give a picture of peace deal signing to Trump, which he can flaunt around.

Symbolism undoubtedly matters in Iranian politics, where perceptions of dignity and resistance often influence political decision making. But as external observers, merely focusing on symbolism risks overlooking the more substantive debate already underway inside Iran.

The strongest resistance to the MoU is coming from conservative political circles and constituencies associated with the Revolutionary Guards, who are deeply concerned about the sequencing of concessions that Iran is believed to be giving to the US, especially with regard to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Their argument is relatively straightforward, which is that after reopening Hormuz, Iran will be left with reduced leverage, which it accumulated during the conflict as it would enter the main negotiations.

For many in Tehran, the memory of the 2015 nuclear agreement and the subsequent US withdrawal from it remains difficult to ignore. The central question raised by critics is therefore not whether diplomacy is desirable, but whether Iranian concessions are being front loaded while American obligations remain conditional and reversible.

This internal debate appears to be exerting greater influence on the timing of the agreement than procedural issues surrounding the signing of the MoU itself.

The intensive diplomatic activity that followed Tehran’s hesitation about signing on the day announced by Trump reflected the fear among mediators that a delay may lead to unexpected complications.

Flurry of diplomatic activity

Reports from multiple diplomatic channels suggest that both Pakistan and Qatar intensified contacts with Iranian officials after the statement that signing will not be done on Sunday.

Qatari engagement has been publicly acknowledged, while regional diplomats suggested that a late-night conversation between Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Araghchi on the issue also took place. Although not all such accounts have been independently verified, they illustrate the degree to which regional actors have become invested in securing an agreement. That investment is understandable because almost every regional actor sees potential benefits in stabilisation, even if their reasons differ.

Although the emerging agreement appears to promise wider regional de-escalation, the future of Hezbollah remains unresolved. Events over the past 10 days leave little doubt that any serious deterioration in the Israel-Lebanon theatre could quickly test the understandings currently being negotiated.

Ultimately, the significance of the agreement will depend less on the ceremony surrounding its signature than on the details contained in the final text. Those details will determine whether the memorandum becomes the starting point of a broader diplomatic process or merely a pause before another cycle of confrontation.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026

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Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group E match in Houston on Sunday.

The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014.

An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia which had the Curacao fans, known as the Blue Wave, out of their seats in Houston.

However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with a double, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scored to put to bed any possibility of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

Germany settled early, Nmecha scoring a beauty in the sixth minute, receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz and curling the ball round a Curacao defender and past goalkeeper Eloy Room.

The goal had coach Julian Nagelsmann letting out a huge roar.

Nmecha, who like Musiala played for England at junior level before choosing Germany, went close minutes later with a rasping effort from outside the box.

German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who at 40 is the oldest German player ever to appear at a World Cup and is playing in his fifth global tournament, had had little to do until Comenencia struck with a shot which took a deflection.

While Germany’s ‘senior citizen’ shook his head ruefully, the oldest coach to ever appear at the finals, 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, was up out of his seat arms raised.

The drinks break allowed the Germans to regroup.

Soon after the restart Schlotterbeck’s header was brilliantly turned over the bar by Room.

The four-time world champions huffed and puffed round the Curacao goal, but time and again desperate defending frustrated the Germans.

However, the Curacao defence cracked in the 38th minute when an unmarked Schlotterbeck headed home from a corner for his first goal for his country.

The Germans went into the break with a two-goal advantage as Havertz stroked home a penalty after Nmecha had been brought down by Riechedly Bazoer.

Germany struck 69 seconds into the second half, Musiala running on to Joshua Kimmich’s pass and scoring from a tight angle.

It should have been 5-1 just after the hour mark but Leroy Sane sent his effort wide with only Room to beat.

Where Sane came up short Brown did not as the fullback fired home just before the second hydration break.

Substitute Undav made it six with his seventh goal in his last seven international appearances.

Havertz rounded it off with his 24th goal for Germany to replicate the same scoreline as they famously recorded against hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals.

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India made the perfect start to their women’s Twenty 20 World Cup campaign with a 64-run win against Pakistan on Sunday.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s side dominated from start to finish in their opening group game of the tournament at Edgbaston.

After India elected to bat first, opener Smriti Mandhana was the catalyst for the victory as she survived two drops to hit 68 from 44 balls.

Mandhana blasted nine fours and two sixes, while Kaur notched four fours in her innings of 36.

Wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh kept the pressure on Pakistan’s overwhelmed bowlers with a quick-fire 34 featuring five fours and a six.

Pakistan’s run chase looked a daunting task and so it proved as they crumbled against India’s spinners.

All-rounder Deepti Sharma finished with impressive figures of 5-10.

She pushed Pakistan towards defeat by running out opener Muneeba Ali, who top-scored for Pakistan with 41.

Sharma also dismissed Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar to leave Pakistan in disarray before leg-spinner Sree Charani tightened the screws with three wickets.

Pakistan slumped from 75-3 to 79-6 and Sharma delivered the knockout blow when she removed Nashra Sundhu and Tasmia Rubab.

“Thank you so much to all the fans who came out to support us today. We are so grateful. Whenever we need a performance, Smriti and Deepti are always there for us to push us forward,” Kaur said.

“It was a good pitch. We were under pressure in the Powerplay, but my partnership with Smriti got us back in control. Every game is important. We are very happy with this start. We know that net run rate might help us towards the end of the group games.”

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana added: “We are very disappointed with the batting performance. We’ve got to improve quickly because there is still a long way to go in the tournament. We are a young team, we are getting used to these situations. Catches win matches. Unfortunately, it was senior players dropping catches and we need to get better. That cost us the match.”

The latest showdown between the rivals set a new attendance record for a group stage match at the women’s T20 World Cup.

A crowd of 18,814 surpassed the previous record of 15,935, set during India’s clash with Pakistan in Dubai in 2024.

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• Opening day dominated by political speeches in NA
• Achakzai says freezing funds will hit provinces’ health, social sectors
• PM defends govt’s approach, highlights Balochistan projects
• Supports border fencing for national security; renews offer for talks with opposition
• MQM calls for strong local govt system, approval of 28th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Saturday formally began a general debate on the federal budget for the next financial year, with lawmakers delivering lengthy speeches and mostly raising political and local issues rather than discussing the budgetary proposals presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb amid noisy opposition protest on Friday.

The highlight of the opening day of the budget debate was a more than hour-long speech by Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and an immediate response from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who attended the sitting for a significant time.

In his speech, Mr Achakzai criticised the government’s decision to freeze development allocations for the provinces, contending that it would hit their health and social sectors. The opposition leader began his speech by dwelling on regional history, starting from 1860, and linking it with the prevailing law and order situation and lack of consensus among political parties in the country.

Mr Achakzai was still on his feet when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif entered the house amid desk-thumping by treasury members.

The premier carefully listened to the opposition leader’s speech and immediately took the floor for a response, while affirming the government’s commitment to contributing to the development of all provinces. He said everyone could have a political viewpoint and a different vision, but “we are here, if Pakistan exists”.

“There is no difference of opinion on this,” PM Shehbaz said, while referring to Mr Achakzai’s assertion that provinces had the right to their indigenous financial resources.

The prime minister recalled a number of projects being carried out in Balochistan, the home province of the opposition leader.

“You did not demand this nor did someone else. But as the prime minister of Pakistan, it is my responsibility to do my best so that all four provinces are at the same level in the race to progress,” he said.

The premier also highlighted the “share of the people of Balochistan” in the Reko Diq project and the National Finance Commission Award, under which the province’s share had been doubled. He also recalled the distribution of solar panels among farmers in Balochistan, adding: “This is a tale of brotherhood.” He mentioned a road being built from Chaman to Gwadar.

Addressing Mr Achakzai, PM Shehbaz said: “You spoke about the armed forces in your speech.” He recalled that 22 army officers and personnel were martyred in the recent helicopter crash.

“You spoke about the Durand Line. This is your opinion and we respect it. However, I think that it was an absolutely appropriate move if fencing has been put up for the security of Pakistan and its people. If the billions of rupees spent on that 2,000km line save the life of even one child, then I think that the entire money was spent in the right way,” he said in response to Mr Achakzai’s criticism of the fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The premier also mentioned the surge in terrorism in KP and the sacrifices rendered by soldiers while defending homeland. “If we do not respect our martyrs, what will the world say? Keep the world aside, what will their orphaned children say?” he remarked.

The PM recalled past cordial interactions with Mr Achakzai in the “good old days”, emphasising the importance of unity within a nation. He then reiterated his offer to the opposition for talks and a charter of democracy, but was interrupted by PTI’s Sanaullah Mastikhel, who asked him to take a step forward.

The PM in his usual wit responded: “You are my friend — if you take one step, you will be with us.”

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan took the floor as soon as the prime minister left the house after his speech. Mr Khan criticised the alleged role of the establishment in the country’s political matters.

“Where should we go and tell our grievances? You always speak of consensus among political parties, but your behaviour should display that too and the rights of Imran Khan have to be given while he is in prison,” he said.

In his speech, Dr Farooq Sattar of the MQM stressed the need for the approval of the 28th Amendment, which relates to a strong local government system in the country. He said local bodies were essential for the country’s progress.

The NA will continue the debate on the budget today (Sunday).

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026

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The leader of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua has been killed in southern Venezuela as part of a joint operation with the United States, in what a top Pentagon official on Saturday described as a warning to “narco-terrorists” in Latin America.

Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Nino Guerrero, was “neutralised” in southeastern Bolivar state, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday.

US President Donald Trump said Guerrero was killed in “a swift and lethal kinetic strike” by US forces, in an attack “coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela”.

“As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Friday night.

On Saturday, a senior aide to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said the killing was meant to serve as a stark warning.

“The death of Nino Guerrero sends a clear message to Latin America. There is no refuge for narco-terrorists in our hemisphere,” Patrick Weaver, Hegseth’s deputy chief of staff, said in a post on X on Saturday morning.

Trump’s social post confirming Guerrero’s killing was accompanied by a 10-second video, showing an overhead view of a building surrounded by greenery before an explosion erupts, sending up a cloud of smoke. No people are clearly visible in the footage.

‘Countless acts of violence’

Founded in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States and is also active in Colombia, Peru and Chile.

Federal prosecutors in New York filed racketeering, drug and firearms charges against the gang leader in December.

“Guerrero Flores has been the mastermind of Tren de Aragua’s evolution from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organisation,” US Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement when the indictment was announced.

Tren de Aragua, under Guerrero Flores’s leadership, has “committed countless acts of violence, extortion, and drug trafficking all over North America, South America, and Europe”, he said.

The US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

According to a report by the InSight Crime think tank, Guerrero made Tren de Aragua “what it is today during his incarceration at Tocoron”.

Under his leadership, Tocoron “became one of the country’s most notorious prisons, largely because of the unofficial policy of the Venezuelan government of handing control of certain prisons … over to criminal leaders known as pranes”.

“This freedom and the gang’s criminal revenues allowed for the construction of a zoo, a swimming pool, a playground, a restaurant, and a nightclub inside the prison,” the report added.

The joint operation is the latest sign of improving ties between Caracas and Washington since the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro by US forces in January. The two countries restored diplomatic relations in March, which had been severed in 2019.

The United States is in the process of reactivating its embassy in Caracas.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday confirmed that a “final agreed-upon” text of the peace deal between Iran and the United States had been reached.

A day prior, US President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend, which, if finalised, would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the months-old war.

“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” he said.

In a post on X, PM Shehbaz said Islamabad was working “closely” with both sides to finalise the next steps of the process.

“Peace has never been this close as it is now.”

The premier also cautioned against an “incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made similar comments, calling the potential deal the “Islamabad memorandum of understanding”.

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” he wrote on X, urging the press to refrain from speculating until it is finalised.

“In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course.”

Earlier today, Trump rejected reports about the terms of a possible deal with Iran in a post on Truth Social, asserting that they have “nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing”.

He added that Tehran needed to “get their act together, and fast”.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance issued a statement of his own on X to dispel “fake information” revolving around the possible agreement.

“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” he wrote on X.

“The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies’ concerns are prioritised, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region.”

He added, “This deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace.”

On Wednesday night, it looked like war had resumed, with Washington and Tehran trading strikes after an American Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz.

The two countries traded strikes again on Thursday, with Trump warning that he had planned “bigger” bombing raids today.

However, he cancelled the strikes following discussions with the highest levels of leadership in Tehran.

“Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others,” he wrote on Truth Social.

The war started on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with both countries trading attacks until a ceasefire was agreed upon in April, with Pakistan acting as a mediator. A round of talks was held in Islamabad that month, though no deal was reached after 21 hours of negotiations.

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ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement regarding the formation of a government in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and expressed his gratitude.

The PPP is all set to form a government in the region after it gained 11 out of 24 seats in the GB Legi­slative Assembly, according to the unofficial results (Form-47) of the June 7 elections.

According to Radio Pakistan, the prime minister assured full support from the PML-N to the PPP on government formation.

The prime minister said the PML-N has decided to sit on the opposition benches in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, but its elected members will vote in favour of the PPP to form the government.

In a statement, Bilawal said that recognising the PPP’s majority in GB is the continuation of a democratic tradition and added that the party views the premier’s invitation to form the government as a “positive step”.

“As a result of a consensus agreement, the positions of governor and deputy speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan will be allocated to the PML-N,” he was quoted as saying. “The PPP will utilise all its capabilities to serve the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.”

The party chairman specifically thanked the people of GB, saying that by placing their trust in the PPP, they entrusted the responsibility of safeguarding their property rights, employment rights, and constitutional rights to the party.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party will fulfil this responsibility effectively and with dedication,” he concluded.

A day earlier, delegations of the PPP and PML-N met in GB to discuss proposals for forming a government in the region after the recent elections. Key leaders from both parties held detailed consultations on government formation proposals.

In its statement, the PPP described the talks as a “major breakthrough”, saying both parties agreed to present proposals to their respective central leaderships.

It said the discussions also covered political cooperation and various national and regional issues.

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