US says downed multiple Iran drones as both insist deal closer

The United States 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 despite weeks of halting talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Pakistan, marked by threats and exchanges of fire since a fragile truce in April.

What happened with the Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz?

US Central Command said Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the strait. US forces downed all of them, and CENTCOM said traffic through the waterway continued unimpeded.

The strait, a key route for Gulf oil and gas exports, has been under an Iranian-enforced blockade since the start of the war.

How close is the US-Iran peace deal?

A senior US official told reporters the probability of signing had risen from around 75 percent in the morning to 80 to 85 percent by later in the day, but was "not 100 percent." Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been a key mediator, confirmed that "a final, agreed-upon text of the peace deal has been reached." He said peace had never been as close as it was now, while acknowledging "incessant misinformation" surrounding the deal.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding had "never been closer," referring to the Pakistani capital that hosted earlier US-Iran talks. Trump reposted Araghchi's message just hours after accusing Iran of negotiating in bad faith and misrepresenting agreed terms. However, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported Araghchi as also saying that until a complete agreement was reached on all issues, it could not be said with certainty that an understanding had been achieved.

What are the disputed terms of the Iran peace deal?

Disagreements between the two sides persist, with Iranian state media publishing a breakdown of the proposed deal that conflicts with Washington's account. According to Iran's IRNA news agency, the initial agreement would be followed by 60 days of further talks, during which Iran's right to enrich uranium and retain enriched material would be emphasized. IRNA also reported that Iran would insist on managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and that the deal would include the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

That account clashed with the version offered by a senior White House official, who said Iran had agreed to dismantle its nuclear program, destroy its enriched uranium stockpile, and reopen the strait. The official added that Tehran would not receive any frozen funds until it had honored those commitments. US Vice President JD Vance echoed that position, saying Iran was "not receiving any cash" for simply signing a deal, but that economic benefits would follow if Iran met its obligations.

What has Iran said about its nuclear program and the deal?

Araghchi said in a state television interview that the agreement calls for lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and unspecified changes to the administration of the Strait of Hormuz. On the nuclear question, he said the only acceptable approach to Iran's enriched uranium was to dilute it inside Iran, pushing back against US and Israeli demands for its removal. US ally Israel has said Trump promised any deal would strip Iran of its enriched nuclear material, a claim Tehran's official news agency said was not on the table.

Where and when could the Iran peace deal be signed?

Switzerland said it had proposed itself as a venue for a possible signing, should both parties agree. Araghchi said the deal would be signed remotely upon finalisation and that this could happen in the coming days.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said agreement had been reached with Washington on most points, and a senior US official said the parties would likely be signing within the next few days.