Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- US President Donald Trump on Friday said a peace deal with Iran could be signed in Europe this weekend
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi bolstered that sentiment by saying an agreement ‘has never been closer’
- The US and Iran have both signaled that an end to the conflict may be near, but both have offered different takes on the terms of such an agreement
- The potential deal would likely see economic relief for the Islamic Republic in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has held closed since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28
- Despite the hopeful signals coming from Washington and Tehran, fighting continues in the region, with the US claiming to have shot down several Iranian drones overnight
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Keep reading for the latest updates on the Iran war and the wider region on June 13:
Skip next section US, Iran say peace deal is close, though differences remain06/13/2026June 13, 2026
US, Iran say peace deal is close, though differences remain
Officials in the United States and Iran have said that a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding between the warring sides could be signed within the next couple of days.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said a deal could be signed “in Europe” on Sunday but that he could not attend — presumably due to the fact that he will host a mixed martial arts fight event on the lawn of the White House to coincide with his birthday.
For those keeping track, this is roughly the fortieth time that Trump has claimed that a peace deal is imminent since the start of the war.
Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday posted on X: “The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” raising hopes that a break in the fighting may indeed be near.
Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Friday cited an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying a draft is “nearly finalized and awaiting a final decision from Iran’s decision-making bodies.”
In Tehran, any agreement would have to be approved by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been in hiding since the start of the conflict.
Sources in Tehran have said that a ceasefire, which would be followed by further detailed negotiations, would involve the release of as much as $24 billion (€21 billion) in frozen Iranian assets as well as sanctions relief and the withdrawal of nearby US troops in exchange for Iran lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has blocked the strait since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28, putting a stranglehold on the global economy.
Tehran has insisted on getting cash up front before opening the strait as they doubt Trump’s good faith in upholding the US end of the agreement, especially considering his history of railing against unfreezing Iranian assets.
Trump in turn blasted Iranian media reports on the terms of the deal in a social media post late Friday, writing: “The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth.”
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https://p.dw.com/p/5FKZ2Skip next section Welcome to our coverage06/13/2026June 13, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Roshni Majumdar Editor
Good morning from the DW newsroom in Bonn as we start today’s coverage of the war in Iran with potentially hopeful news.
Both the US and Iran have publicly voiced optimism that a break in fighting could be on the horizon despite a clear continuation of the conflict overnight, with US forces claiming to have downed Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
Both sides have now hinted that a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) are close at hand, with US President Donald Trump suggesting that a deal could be inked as soon as Sunday, likely in Geneva, Switzerland.
Despite that, it should be noted that this is reportedly the fortieth time that Trump has made such claims since the US and Israel launched their war. Several major sticking points between the sides remain as well — including cash, sanctions, nukes and Israel’s ongoing war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Follow DW for the latest developments on June 13, 2026, here.
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