admin The Iranian Foreign Ministry suggested late on Wednesday that the deal with the United States could be signed by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian.
Such an signing ceremony would represent a major step for the two countries, which saw diplomatic relations break off in 1980 over the US embassy hostage crisis in Tehran.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, quoted by Iranian state television, made the comment.
Pezeshkian became president on a promise of seeking better relations with the West. However, he’s been sidelined for months after Iran’s mass killing of protesters in January and in the war as hard-liners have taken over the levers of the country’s theocracy.
Senior US officials dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists Wednesday after days of secrecy.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of formal signing ceremony set for Friday.
Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Geneva Airport en route to Versailles after attending the G7 summit, in Geneva. AFP
According to the officials, the draft agreement includes a new “minimum” standard for downblending of highly enriched Iranian uranium and has provisions to ensure the “territorial integrity” of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hizbollah in Lebanese territory.
In return, the US will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran once the deal is signed.
The US draft of the agreement also secures toll-free passage of the Strait of Hormuz for only 60 days, and it does not preclude fees in future, the officials said.
The accord is due to be signed on Friday in Switzerland. It also envisions Iran receiving at least $300 billion to rebuild after the war, according to leaked copies of an interim agreement that officials say broadly matches the document.
Trump cast some uncertainty on whether the signing would happen as planned. Asked how confident he was that the ceremony would take place, Trump remarked on the unpredictability of deals.
“You never know with deals, do you? But you’re going to find out pretty soon,” he said.
Associated Press
