Lead:
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the ongoing Middle East war, with President Donald Trump framing the agreement as an American victory while Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei voiced conditional approval. The deal, which prompted the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, has drawn regional and international reactions and set the stage for formal negotiations near Lucerne, Switzerland, beginning Friday.
Details:
According to Al Yaum, Trump publicly declared that the understanding represents a U.S. victory, while simultaneously stating that Washington would not pay Iran $300 billion. He added that sanctions could be reimposed "at any time" should Iran fail to modify its conduct — a position echoed by Vice President JD Vance, who stated the United States would "win in all scenarios" and would resort to alternative measures if Tehran did not change its behavior. Vance subsequently postponed his planned trip to Switzerland, where talks had been scheduled.
Al Jazirah reported that both Washington and Tehran moved to claim the narrative of victory following the signing. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was photographed displaying the signed document bearing Trump's signature, according to Al Yaum, signaling a degree of domestic political messaging from Tehran. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei confirmed his approval of the memorandum, stating he had held reservations but relented after Pezeshkian assured him that the rights of the Iranian people would be safeguarded.
Al Yaum further reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed Iran would permit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to access its nuclear facilities as part of the post-agreement understandings. However, Iran's foreign ministry stated categorically that its ballistic missile program would not be placed on the table in any forthcoming negotiations, marking a clear red line from Tehran even as diplomacy advances.
On the regional level, the Egyptian presidency welcomed the memorandum, praising what it described as the "wisdom of Trump," and characterizing the American-Iranian understanding as a step toward reducing tensions across the Middle East, according to Al Yaum. Separately, the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed that formal negotiations would commence Friday near Lucerne, though the postponement of Vance's travel introduced uncertainty over the timeline. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also deferred his planned visit to Switzerland following the remote signing of the memorandum.
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