Iran war day 106: US and Iran say deal close but Lebanon fighting continues

US and Iran say a deal to end the war is within reach, with a final text agreed but key steps still pending.Published On 13 Jun 2026Iran and the United States appeared to edge closer to a deal to end the war on Friday, with officials saying an agreement may soon be within reach.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a memorandum of understanding with Washington had “never been closer” and urged the media not to speculate about its contents before it is finalised. US President Donald Trump later reposted Araghchi’s remarks after earlier dismissing reports about the deal as “fake news”.Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has helped mediate the talks, said a “final, agreed-upon text” had been drawn up, although some “next steps” still needed to be completed.Here is what has happened:In Iran Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said Araghchi acknowledged some disagreements within Iran’s leadership over the proposed memorandum of understanding, but described them as manageable and said an agreement could be reached soon. The first phase of the deal would include a ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, the lifting of the Strait of Hormuz blockade and a mechanism to unfreeze Iranian assets. Vall said securing and maintaining a ceasefire in Lebanon would be the key test of whether the agreement can succeed. Iranian official claims $24bn in assets could be unfrozen: State media, citing senior official Mohsen Rezaei, reported that Trump had agreed to release $24bn in frozen Iranian assets but has not publicly acknowledged it. Trump has previously dismissed Iranian reports about the proposed deal as “fake news”.