US-Iran peace deal: Swiss meeting between the two nations confirmed as Trump signs deal? What we know | Today’s news
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said early Thursday that a planned round of talks between Iran and the United States on Friday in Switzerland had not yet been confirmed. US President Donald Trump has announced that he has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran, according to the AP agency.
The White House also announced that Trump had signed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Iran while in Versailles, although no media cameras were present at the signing.
“Friday’s meeting was only confirmed a few hours ago, but when it was decided that the presidents of both sides (Iran and the US) would sign the agreement, it was decided to suspend consideration of Friday’s meeting for the time being,” Reuters quoted Baghaei as saying.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
The purpose of the US-Iran peace deal is to end the ongoing conflict between the two nations and ensure that Iran commits not to pursue nuclear weapons while receiving economic incentives.
Switzerland is hosting the signing of the peace agreement because it has historically served as a neutral ground for diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States.
The deal will give Iran the rights to sell oil, access to a $300 billion development fund and potentially reclaim frozen assets as part of the deal.
The US will resume military action against Iran if the nation does not abide by the terms of the peace deal, as President Trump has stressed.
The memorandum of understanding outlines commitments to end military operations, negotiate a final agreement within 60 days, and lay out provisions for Iran’s nuclear program and economic sanctions relief.
According to the US official, both Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement. Earlier reports indicated that Trump and Vice President JD Vance digitally signed the document on Sunday and that a formal signing ceremony would take place in Switzerland on Friday. However, the AP, citing an official speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump signed the agreement in person in Versailles on Wednesday and that Pezeshkian signed it on the same day.
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It remains unclear whether the signing triggered a 60-day deadline to negotiate a final agreement. It’s also unclear how Trump’s signature on the Versailles accord differed from the digital signature he reportedly provided on Sunday.
Versailles has been the site of many important treaties throughout history, many of which ended wars or resolved territorial conflicts. The most notable was the 1919 peace treaty that formally ended the First World War. Some historians argue that the treaty’s harsh penalties against Germany contributed to the conditions that later led to World War II.
Trump says text of MOU will be released ‘very soon’
Trump said on Monday that the full text of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be released in the near future, calling it a “very strong document”.
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Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting in Evian on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Trump indicated that the document was likely to be released after a formal signature, expected later this week.
When asked about a timeline for its release, Trump mentioned, “I think pretty soon. I would say I want it released because it’s a very powerful document. This is a very powerful document and I want it to be released. So probably pretty soon. I’d say sometime after Friday.”
Meanwhile, Trump and his administration have long pointed to several key issues as justification for taking a tough stance on Iran. But during Wednesday’s press conference, Trump appeared to downplay many of those concerns.
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In explaining his decision to support the interim peace deal, Trump reiterated that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. At the same time, he suggested that Tehran could retain the ability to enrich uranium, continue to develop ballistic missile technology and regain access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets.
Those three questions have been central to international discussions about Iran for years, especially since the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, the United States under former President Barack Obama and other world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, according to Bloomberg.
Trump has often pointed to the same issues as evidence that Obama and previous US presidents have been ineffective in dealing with Iran, and that their policies have failed to adequately contain the threat posed by the government in Tehran.
