Iran said early on Thursday that a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US aimed at ending the war had been formally finalised after the presidents of both countries signed the text of the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the “Islamabad memorandum” had become fully official after being signed by both Tehran and Washington, according to remarks carried by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.
Baghaei said the agreement would be signed digitally and confirmed that negotiations under the memorandum would focus exclusively on nuclear issues and sanctions relief.
He said the two sides would hold talks for up to 60 days, with the possibility of extending negotiations if necessary, due to the complexity of the issues involved.
The spokesman also said US commitments regarding the lifting of its naval blockade on Iran had effectively begun following urgent talks after Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs and Iranian threats of retaliation.
Baghaei said the plan for the negotiating teams to be in Geneva is in place, but the MOU signing will be digital and a signing ceremony will not be held in Switzerland, Mehr News reported.
He added that if Israel’s attacks against Lebanon continue, it will be considered a violation of the US commitments under the MOU. He added that Iranian vessels had already entered and exited ports “without problems,” describing it as a sign that US commitments were beginning to take effect.
Baghaei said Iran’s commitments regarding the Strait of Hormuz would begin following the signing and implementation of the memorandum.
Separately, a US official also confirmed to Anadolu that the MOU was signed Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump told reporters in France that he signed the MOU in the Palace of Versailles during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
A photo of the signed agreement was sent to the Iranians and the mediating countries, the US news outlet Axios reported.
Meanwhile, several Republican lawmakers have criticised the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at ending a four-month war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the deal includes significant concessions and could undermine US security interests.
“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana wrote on US social media company X after the US officials released the text of the 14-point MOU that was signed electronically on Wednesday by the presidents of both countries.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future,” Cassidy said. “Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.”
“Before the war, the Strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” he said. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped.”
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas told conservative outlet the Daily Wire that he hopes to see more details but said elements of what is currently public appeared “ill-advised.”
“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a bad idea,” he said. – AA
