•US President Donald Trump (L) during the signing of a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war
The United States and Iran have signed a deal to end the Middle East war, with a ceremony set for Friday in Switzerland that will mark the start of a 60-day negotiation period.
Trump put his signature to the memorandum of understanding during a candlelit dinner at the Palace of Versailles following a G7 summit, as host French President Emmanuel Macron and other guests applauded, a video posted by a Trump aide showed, reports AFP.
The memorandum of understanding aims to put an end to months of conflict initiated by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, which wreaked chaos across the region and rattled the global economy.
“Just signed it,” Trump told reporters as he emerged from the palace.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency IRNA, said the document “was finalized with the signatures of the presidents.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, who mediated the agreement, said on X that it “shall enter into force with immediate effect.”
The deal aims to draw a line under the war launched February 28 by the United States and Israel, prompting Iran to counterattack with missile and drone salvos across the region — and effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world economy. The US responded by blocking shipping to and from Iranian ports.
Here are the main points from the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war, the text of which was made public by Washington and Tehran:
$300 Billion Plan
The United States and its regional partners will draw up a plan with “at least” $300 billion” for the reconstruction and economic development” of Iran.
Nuclear
Iran reaffirms that “it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons”.
The disposition of Tehran’s enriched uranium will be resolved by “a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon… with the minimum methodology to be down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA”.
Pending the final deal, Iran will “maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program”, and the United States “will not impose any new sanctions, and will not deploy additional forces in the region”.
Permanent End To Hostilities
The United States, Iran, and their respective allies “declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
They undertake “not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon”.
Final Agreement Within 60 Days
Iran and the United States commit to “negotiating and achieving the final deal in a maximum of 60 days, extendable with mutual consent”.
Lifting US Blockade
The United States will “immediately” begin the removal of its blockade of Iranian ports, which it imposed on April 13, and will bring it to an end within 30 days.
The United States also undertakes to “remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal”.
Reopening The Strait Of Hormuz
Iran will make best efforts to ensure the “safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge, for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start” and be fully restored within 30 days, once the Hormuz Strait has been cleared of mines.
Lifting sanctions
The United States undertakes to “terminate all types of sanctions against” Iran, and to “make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MOU”.
The US Treasury will “issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, (and) transportation” with immediate effect, until the sanctions are lifted.
Signing
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was involved in the mediation, said the memorandum was electronically signed on Thursday, Islamabad time, by US President Donald Trump and Iran’s leader, Masoud Pezeshkian.
A ceremony will be held in Switzerland tomorrow to “commemorate this landmark event and commence with the technical level talks”, according to Sharif.
UN Resolution
The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
