US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have virtually signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 60-day process to negotiate a final agreement on sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Citing a White House official, CNN reported that Trump signed the memorandum on Wednesday while meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The agreement, which was also signed by Pezeshkian, took immediate effect.
According to CNN, the United States released the official text of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
A senior US administration official described the agreement as a framework to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, address Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and establish a mechanism for phased economic relief linked to Iranian compliance.
“This is fundamentally an agreement that allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commit the Iranians to destroying the nuclear dust, and then gives us a dial where if the Iranians dial up their good behaviour, we respond by dialling up the kind of economic and sanctions relief that can make them a more prosperous country,” the official was quoted by CNN as saying.
According to Press TV, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the memorandum had been finalised and signed by both sides. He said consultations involving Oman and other countries had been underway for some time and that arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz had largely been agreed upon.
Baghaei said the agreement would ensure safe maritime passage while preserving “the sovereignty and authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.”
The memorandum provides for an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon, and commits both sides to concluding negotiations on a final agreement within 60 days, with the option of an extension by mutual consent.
Under the agreement, the United States will begin lifting its naval blockade and related restrictions, while Iran will facilitate the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz free of charge for an initial 60-day period.
The document also outlines plans for the phased removal of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, Treasury waivers for Iranian oil exports, and a US-backed reconstruction and economic development programme for Iran valued at no less than USD 300 billion.
According to Press TV, Iran reaffirmed its commitment not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. The memorandum also calls for discussions on the future of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Fox News had earlier reported that the broader framework would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the US blockade, initiating a 60-day negotiation process on Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, implementing sanctions relief measures, and establishing a structured ceasefire arrangement involving Israel and Hezbollah.
(With ANI inputs)
