Iran and the US have agreed to peace talks, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of the mediating country, Pakistan, has said. Posting on social media at 4:45 pm Nepali time on Saturday, he said that peace talks are expected to be held within the next 24 hours. Pakistan had been trying to bring the two sides to talks for a long time. Sharif said that preparations are underway to electronically sign the agreement. ‘We believe that this historic peace talk will lay a strong foundation for lasting peace,’ he wrote on social media.

Although both sides confirmed that a peace agreement is close, they have made different claims about the provisions of the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the peace agreement will be in two phases. He said that the first phase will stop the war and the second phase will be to reach an agreement on various issues.

‘In the first phase, the war will stop on all fronts, including the Israeli attack on Lebanon. There will be a commitment not to attack again,' he said. He claimed that discussions on Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief and the plan to release Iran's frozen assets would be held in the second phase. He said that Iran and Oman's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz would remain intact and that it would be managed differently in the future. He said that revenue would be collected from ships passing through Hormuz. Iran had passed a law from parliament to charge ships passing through Hormuz during the war. 'There will be a fee to pass through there,' Araghchi said. Iran had also demanded the release of its frozen assets abroad in previous talks. Three regional officials in West Asia have also indicated that sanctions on Iran would be lifted.

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), they said that after the peace talks, the US would gradually ease international sanctions on Iran and release assets frozen abroad.

However, US Vice President JD Vance has said that this issue will not be mentioned in the agreement.

‘I have seen a lot of misinformation spreading about the agreement. The Iranians will not get any money. The frozen funds will not be released if there is an agreement or a meeting. This agreement has been prepared by prioritizing the interests of the US and its allies. If Iran complies with the agreement, it will benefit it and the entire region economically,’ he wrote on the social network X. ‘This agreement has the potential to rebuild the West Asia region and establish long-term peace.’

The war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. With this, the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas passes, has been blocked. Although a ceasefire was agreed between the two countries on April 8, both sides have been violating it from time to time. The biggest division between the two sides was over Iran's nuclear program. The United States and Israel claim that Iran would pose a threat to the world if it developed nuclear weapons. They attacked Iran with this argument. Iran has been claiming that its nuclear program is limited to peaceful purposes. According to a Trump administration official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, the two sides have agreed to destroy Iran's highly enriched uranium or take it elsewhere. The official said that detailed technical work will be carried out to remove highly enriched uranium within 60 days of the signing of the peace agreement. Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has also been a key issue in the talks between the two sides. The blockade has led to a global energy crisis. Similarly, the price of gasoline, natural gas and chemical fertilizers has increased globally. US officials have also said that an agreement has been reached to open the Strait of Hormuz during the peace talks.

US ally Israel has said that it will not be a signatory to the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement in a statement on Friday. However, he said that Trump and he share the same views on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a separate statement saying that Trump is expected to prioritize Israel's interests in the talks. He expressed confidence that Trump will play a role in stopping Iran's missile program and support for proxy groups. He also maintained his stance that he would not withdraw troops from the territories occupied by Israel in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. Similarly, he said that he would not withdraw troops from the northern refugee camps under Israeli control in the West Bank.

Pakistan is mediating the US-Iran talks. Pakistan's army chief Ashim Munir is leading it. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar have supported it.

When the US-Israeli war began on February 28, Trump presented some goals. These included weakening Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities, guaranteeing the security of its allies in West Asia, and forcing Iran to cut its support for armed groups. Israel and the US had continuously attacked Iran's weapons, missile and drone production facilities in the first few weeks.

Trump also claimed that 90 percent of Iran's missiles and launchers had been destroyed by the end of March. However, Iran has proven in recent days that it still has the ability to launch missiles at US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain and at Israel. It has been continuously launching drone strikes on neighboring countries. Iran's nuclear program is currently one of the main issues in peace talks.

The US claimed that Iran's navy was very weak. But the Iranian navy still has a strong hold on Hormuz and surrounding ports. On Tuesday, Trump himself accused Iran of shooting down a sophisticated US military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran has not claimed responsibility for this.

Trump claims that war is also necessary to cut off Iran's support for various armed groups. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon has not diminished. Instead, it is still launching missile and drone attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon.

Trump also tried to justify the attack on Iran by citing the security of its allies in West Asia. However, since the US launched the attack, Iran has been continuously attacking those countries. Which has badly affected the West Asia region.