Lead:
The United States and Iran have formalized a preliminary agreement through a signed memorandum of understanding, setting the stage for comprehensive negotiations expected to last sixty days. The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump signed the document, with Al Arabiya broadcasting footage of the signing. The accord, brokered with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif playing a mediating role, addresses the immediate cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — a development with sweeping implications for global energy markets and regional security.
Details:
According to Al Yaum, Iran's foreign ministry indicated that negotiations toward a final agreement have formally begun and will run for a period of sixty days. The same source reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Trump were identified as the potential signatories at the presidential level, with the Iranian foreign ministry not ruling out a formal summit signing in Switzerland. The White House separately confirmed Trump's execution of the memorandum.
Al Jazirah reported that the United States is expected to release the full text of the interim agreement, with a Reuters-reviewed draft understood to span fourteen points covering an immediate and permanent cessation of all hostilities. Bloomberg, as cited by Al Watan, published the near-final draft text, which includes provisions for the immediate and permanent end to the war across all fronts.
Despite the diplomatic momentum, Al Yaum noted a significant point of friction: Tehran declared categorically that its ballistic missile program is entirely outside the scope of any negotiations with Washington. Iran also signaled its intention to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz after sixty days — a position that drew a sharp response from the British government, which stated publicly that it expects the strait to remain open without fees or restrictions as quickly as possible.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the agreement, describing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a "major step forward," according to Al Yaum. China also weighed in, urging all parties to honor the terms of the Washington-Tehran accord, as reported by the same outlet. Shipping traffic through the strait, however, remained in a state of only limited recovery, with full normalization not yet confirmed.
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