Trump’s message comes after the Government of Pakistan, which acts as a mediator, indicated this Saturday that the agreement could be signed electronically in the next 24 hours.
Nevertheless, The Iranian Foreign Ministry had ruled out the signing taking place on Sundayalthough he left open the possibility that it could take place in the coming days.
In his message, Trump claimed to have gotten the Islamic Republic to renounce its nuclear ambitions: “They no longer want a nuclear weapon, nor will they have one, not through purchase, development or any other form of acquisition,” he stated.
According to the US president, the agreement does not include any “exchange of money” with Iran and will allow the United States access to uranium enriched Iranian for destruction.
“We look forward to collaborating with Iran and the entire Middle East for many years. Hopefully this process will develop quickly, easily and smoothly,” he declared.
If not, Trump threatened the Islamic Republic with applying a “definitive alternative,” in an apparent reference to a new offensive against the country.
Tehran claims the deal being finalized would allow for the release of frozen Iranian funds, something Washington denies, and an end to hostilities on all fronts, including the Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
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According to the US Administration, the deal would allow the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without any type of toll from Iran, and would lay the foundations for dismantling the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
What Iran says
The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Bagaei, stated this Saturday, June 13, that the memorandum of understanding with the United States will not be signed on Sundayas announced by Pakistan, the country that mediates between the two rivals.
“We must wait to know the exact date of the signing of the memorandum of understanding; although it will not be tomorrow, it cannot be ruled out that it will take place in the coming days,” Bagaei said in statements collected by the official IRNA agency.
The diplomat emphasized that the text under discussion “is not a final agreement” between Iran and the United States but “an understanding that outlines the general framework of the dispute and establishes that the war will end.” He also explained that the nuclear issue is left for later and will be discussed “in a period of 60 days.”
shortly before Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the electronic signing of the agreement is scheduled for the next 24 hours.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchí, stated on Friday night that the agreement has two parts:
- The first refers to the release of Iranian assets blocked abroad, the lifting of both the US and Iranian blockade of Hormuz and the end of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.
- The second addresses the nuclear issue.
Despite the apparent imminence of the signature, in the last few hours the Iranian navy reported an attack on a ship that was trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz “without permission”, while the United States denounced the launch of drones by Tehran in this strategic passage through which 20% of the world’s oil transited before the conflict, according to the EFE agency.