Trump announced the signing of a preliminary agreement with Iran
The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened on Friday — the same day the official signing of the agreement is scheduled in Geneva.
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump announced that a preliminary agreement to end the war with Iran has already been signed, and suggested that the details of the arrangement would be released fairly soon, writes the BBC.
"I am very pleased to say that it is signed, the deal is fully signed," he said during talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit.
Senior US officials also began to disclose some details, stating that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened on Friday — the same day the official signing of the agreement is scheduled in Geneva.
According to them, technical negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are expected to begin this week, while any easing of sanctions or unfreezing of assets will depend on Iran's fulfillment of its commitments under the agreement.
Vice President J.D. Vance stated in a Monday interview with CNN that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran is "about a page and a half" and is a very general document. Vance added that many details will be agreed upon during future negotiations.
"On a number of issues, we will have to work out the details within the technical phase of negotiations, but the memorandum creates a framework within which the Iranians will benefit from the deal by fulfilling their obligations under it," he said.
According to Vance, the first point of the document states that Iran commits to striving for "regional peace and stability," which, he said, includes ceasing the funding of "terrorist organizations."
"Most importantly, they will commit not to develop nuclear weapons," Vance said.
US officials stated that the agreement was electronically signed by Trump, Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
They also suggested that additional details could be released by Wednesday — although Trump said the full text of the agreement would be made public "fairly soon" after Friday's ceremony.
"This is a very strong document, and I want it to be published. So, probably, quite soon," the president said.
The agreement will extend the ceasefire for another 60 days, during which the parties will finalize the details of the ultimate agreement.
Announcing a breakthrough in negotiations on Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country acted as a mediator, stated that an "immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon" had been agreed upon.
US officials stated that, while Lebanon is included in the ceasefire framework, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory is not a condition of the agreement. According to them, Israel will retain the right to self-defense.
Speaking on Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would remain in "security zones" in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza for as long as necessary, and would retain freedom of action.
He also stated at a press conference that Iran would not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons — with or without an agreement.
Netanyahu spoke after Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike on a car in the south — the first since the peace agreement was announced. Hezbollah stated that it responded by firing rockets and drones at Israeli forces.
Trump stated on Sunday that he had ordered an immediate lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports and added that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened after the signing of the initial agreement.
On Monday, he stated on social media that "ships are starting to move, many of them with oil, from the Strait of Hormuz."
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the cessation of military operations in a phone interview on Iranian state television, which presented the framework agreement as a victory for Iran.
Gharibabadi reported that Qatari mediators held "almost 14-15 hours of lengthy negotiations" in Tehran to reach the initial agreement.
Iran's top military command stated that Iranians, along with the country's armed forces and allied groups and Tehran's allies in the region, showed the US and Israel that they "had no other choice but to accept defeat and surrender."
However, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Tehran still feels "deep mistrust" towards the US, and the agreement is "only a step towards de-escalation."
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the announcement, stating that he expects the agreements reached to translate into "practical steps that will put a definitive end to the cycle of violence."
Key disagreements in the conflict were Iran's uranium enrichment and the West's demand that the country not possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's desire for comprehensive sanctions relief and access to tens of billions of dollars in frozen oil revenues.
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