Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghai announced that a memorandum of understanding with the United States has been completed and signed electronically by both sides.
He added that the agreement is already in force.
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“The text of the Islamabad memorandum was completed with the signature of the president,” Baghai told IRNA news agency. “Now is the time to test the implementation of the agreement.”
Wednesday’s statement is expected to confirm that the United States and Iran have agreed to halt military operations, paving the way for further negotiations.
Considering that both sides signed the agreement electronically, Bagai pointed out that the signing ceremony will not take place on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, as previously expected.
However, the negotiating team will still remain in the Swiss city. Bagai said a decision will be taken in the coming hours on the possibility of direct talks between the two sides, but such plans have been suspended for now.
President Donald Trump’s office has not yet issued an official statement regarding the signing, but Al Jazeera correspondent Mike Hanna said a White House spokesperson confirmed the signing earlier in the day.
But Hanna warned that the memo would likely face domestic backlash in the United States, where President Trump has been under pressure from the right to take a tough stance on Iran.
“There is significant dissatisfaction with the memorandum that has been outlined to the public at this particular point, even among some Republican members of Congress who have expressed concerns that Iran is being treated leniently,” Hanna said.
He also emphasized the administration’s position that the memorandum is not a full-fledged agreement but a prelude to further negotiations.
“The administration is fighting hard to convince the American people and American politicians that this is not a defeat for the United States,” Hanna said.
The United States and Israel have been engaged in a joint war against Iran since February 28, but a temporary ceasefire on April 8 halted much of the heaviest fighting.
President Trump has repeatedly said his goal in starting the war was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Since the memorandum was revealed, he has emphasized the document’s assurances that Iran would not seek nuclear weapons, an intention Tehran has long denied.
But the memo goes beyond the issue of nuclear weapons, according to the US explanation. It sets a deadline of 60 days for a final agreement, and suggests the United States will mobilize “regional partners” to come up with $300 billion to rebuild Iran.
The U.S. sanctions also work toward lifting sanctions against Iran, which would exempt the country from exporting Iranian fuel.
Iran has touted these conditions as a victory. On Wednesday, chief negotiator Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf told Iran’s state news agency Fars that the US had failed to meet its goals with Iran, citing the memo as proof of that.
“This agreement is a record of American failure,” Ghalibaf said. “People will look at it and judge.”
He also explained that the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its “pre-war status” even after the 60-day negotiation period stipulated in the agreement. He indicated that Iran expected to pay fees for using the waterway.
“We reiterate that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its previous state,” Ghalibaf said.
“Iran has a sovereign right to the Strait of Hormuz, and of course we will receive compensation for our services.”
That stance is likely to put pressure on the Trump administration, which has promised to make the strait, a vital trade waterway, “forever free.”
Since the start of the war, Iran has blocked waterways, sending global prices for fuel, fertilizer and other goods soaring.
The United States has responded with its own blockade of Iranian ports, an effort that will end under the memorandum of understanding.
However, both sides emphasized that the memorandum is not a final agreement on all issues. Further negotiations are expected to resolve the persistent impasse.
“It will only become an agreement in and of itself after the 60-day negotiation period. At least, that’s the intention,” Hanna reported.
