ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that the United States and Iran are “closer to a peace deal than ever before,” adding that the accord is likely to be finalized within 24 hours, with technical discussions to begin next week.

“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before,” Sharif wrote on X, coming after he tasked Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar with heading to Geneva the day prior.

US officials indicated that an official signing could take place in the Swiss city, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed that the accord will be inked "remotely" - a notion further implied by Sharif saying that "Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after [finalization]."

“We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support,” he said.

“We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace.” 

On Friday, Pakistan said Iran and the United States had agreed on the text of a final peace proposal, with Sharif saying a final draft had been reached and that Islamabad was working with both sides on the next steps.

US President Donald Trump later said a deal could be signed over the weekend or on Monday, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a potential agreement “has never been closer.”

Pakistan has served as the official mediator between Tehran and Washington throughout the negotiations.

Iranian state media had earlier purported seven points of what it called the “main outlines” of the proposal. Some of the main points are contradictory to what the US wants, such as Iran not giving up the management of the Strait of Hormuz and deciding on its future with Oman without US interference.

Trump told Axios on Friday that Iran had privately apologized for the state media report of the alleged peace proposal text, which he had slammed as “weak and pathetic.”