WASHINGTON (AP): President Donald Trump signed an interim agreement with Iran on Wednesday aimed at ending hostilities and restarting negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
According to details released by U.S. and Iranian officials, the agreement takes immediate effect and establishes a 60-day window for negotiations toward a broader, long-term accord.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government helped facilitate discussions between the two countries, announced that leaders from both nations had signed the agreement.
Trump signed a physical copy of the deal during a visit to France, where he was meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles. In Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement on behalf of Iran.
“It’s signed,” Trump told reporters following the ceremony.
Under the agreement, fighting between the United States and Iran will cease while negotiations continue. The deal also calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil and natural gas, and the resumption of talks regarding Iran’s nuclear activities.
The agreement includes provisions for Iran to dilute portions of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
As part of the arrangement, the United States will move to waive certain sanctions that have restricted Iranian oil exports, allowing Iran to resume broader participation in global energy markets while negotiations continue.
The agreement also outlines a framework for future discussions regarding additional sanctions relief, nuclear restrictions, and regional security issues.
Trump described the agreement as “very strong” while emphasizing that future actions would depend on the outcome of the negotiations.
“It’s a memorandum of understanding,” Trump said. “If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs.”
The United States and Iran have long been at odds over Tehran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration has maintained that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials continue to insist their nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to restore normal shipping traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors after disruptions caused by the conflict.
Officials from both countries are expected to begin formal negotiations in the coming weeks as they work toward a permanent agreement.
