The roughly four month long conflict between the United States and Iran has finally come to a halt. After a long stretch of diplomatic wrangling, the two countries arrived at an understanding that President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sealed in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). To stop the months of hostilities in West Asia, both sides reached agreement on a number of key issues. The whole process is expected to take its formal and final shape on June 19 in Geneva, the day the official peace deal between Iran and the United States is to be signed.
A decision made over a Versailles dinner with Macron
What makes this moment unusual is that Trump did not put his signature down inside a government office, but right in the middle of a dinner table. On Wednesday he signed the agreement that ends the West Asia war while he was dining with French President Emmanuel Macron. According to a US official, TrendKia understands that the signature happened during this very dinner with Macron. It is worth noting that Trump is currently in France for the G7 summit.
There is an Indian angle to this development as well. Emmanuel Macron is counted among the close friends of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the ties between India and France are considered strong. The Rafale fighter jet is one example of that deep friendship.
'It's signed': Trump shouts to reporters
According to reporting, when the official was asked about Trump personally signing the document during the dinner with Macron at the Palace of Versailles after the G7 summit, he said, 'I can confirm the signature.' As Trump stepped out of the palace after the dinner, he turned to the reporters and shouted, 'It's signed.'
Iran confirmed it too. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei verified that the memorandum of understanding with the United States had been signed electronically. Baghaei also said that the text of the MoU had been finalized with the signatures of the two presidents, and that it was now time to test its implementation.
Digital signing on Sunday, Trump as witness
As TrendKia has learned, the MoU that Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian put their seal on this Wednesday had already been signed digitally on Sunday by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. On that occasion the US President himself acted as a witness. In this way, a process that began with digital signatures rose all the way up to the top leaders of both nations.
The biggest takeaways from the deal
The most important issue in this deal concerns the Strait of Hormuz. After months of closure, this crucial sea route is to be reopened quickly. It was the closure of Hormuz that had pushed energy prices around the world sky high. The agreement also includes immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on Iranian oil. Meanwhile, talks on the nuclear questions and on the possible additional financial benefits for Iran will take place at a later stage.
The 14 key points of the deal
The main 14 points of the agreement reached between the United States and Iran are as follows:
- An immediate and permanent ceasefire will take effect on all fronts.
- The United States and Iran will respect each other's sovereignty.
- The United States will not interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
- The US naval blockade will be lifted.
- The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened within 30 days.
- Both sides will cooperate to restore maritime trade and the movement of ships.
- The United States will provide relief on the oil and energy sector sanctions placed on Iran.
- Waivers will be issued to allow Iranian oil exports.
- Iran's frozen foreign assets will be released in a phased manner.
- The United States will not increase its military presence in the region, nor impose any new sanctions.
- Iran will reaffirm that it will not develop nuclear weapons.
- An arrangement will be put in place on enriched uranium under IAEA monitoring.
- A plan of roughly 300 billion dollars is proposed for Iran's reconstruction and development.
- The final comprehensive agreement will later be given formal shape through the support or a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
