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United States President Donald Trump has signed a deal with Iran that would extend the ceasefire by 60 days and see the strategic Strait of Hormuz trade route reopened after effectively being closed since the start of hostilities.
Speaking at the G7 summit in France on June 17, Trump suggested that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would be signed in the next 48 hours.
Later in the evening it was confirmed by several U.S. officials that Trump had signed the agreement with the Islamic Republic.
According to CNN, Trump signed a hard copy of the deal during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles.
A U.S. official told the news network that a formal signing ceremony involving Vice President JD Vance is still expected on June 19,
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, from his side, revealed that the MoU was signed in a digital and remote format by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump, adding that the decision was based on past experience.
“When a text is signed by the highest officials of the two countries, naturally its violation carries higher costs, and given our experience we preferred this to happen. We also concluded that holding a ceremony was not really necessary,” Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Commenting on the signing, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the talks on the Islamic Republic’s side, said that all commitments under the memorandum are based on the principle of “action for action,” adding that Article 13 of the agreement is structured on the same basis.
“If the United States fails to fulfil its obligations, Iran will not proceed with its own commitments under any circumstances,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team, cited by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, said that following Iran’s insistence, the Persian version of the MoU had also been signed as an official document by both sides. The source said the step ensures the Persian text is recognized as an official reference alongside the agreement.
With the MoU officially signed by the U.S. and Iran, the 60-day period for discussions between the two sides is now underway.
Trump warned earlier in the day that the U.S. is willing to attack the Islamic Republic if a comprehensive agreement is reached. This remains a possible scenario, especially considering the magnitude of issues still stuck between the two sides, namely the fate of the Iranian nuclear program, and Israel’s unannounced rejection of the deal.
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