A senior U.S. government official said on June 15 that the U.S. and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding electronically, but both sides will still hold a formal signing ceremony on the 19th.
The official said at a press briefing that U.S. President Trump and Vice President Vance signed the memorandum of understanding, with Iran's Islamic Parliament Speaker Khalibaf signing the document on behalf of Iran. Vance, along with Trump's envoy Witkov and son-in-law Kushner, are expected to attend the ceremony on the 19th. Vance will then lead the U.S. side into the next phase of negotiations.
The official said the memorandum of understanding will be publicly released within the next 24 to 48 hours. However, Trump said during his attendance at the G7 summit in France that the memorandum would be announced after the formal signing ceremony.
U.S. officials stated that during the U.S.-Iran technical negotiations, the U.S. will maintain existing troop deployments in the Middle East; If an agreement is ultimately reached, the U.S. will reduce its forces in the region.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said traffic in the strait will soon return to normal, "definitely within 30 days, but only if Iran commits to clearing all mines." The U.S. "currently has control over all mines" and can actually assist in handling them.
U.S. officials stated that the U.S.-Iran agreement does not require Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon. "Withdrawal is not a precondition of the agreement. If Iran cannot control Lebanon's Hezbollah and attacks Israeli strongholds or towns, Israel will have the right to defend itself and retaliate." The official also believes that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon will not hinder the Trump administration's agreement with Iran.For more global geopolitics, stock and commodity analysis, visit https://setkh.com/
Comments
Log in or sign up to join the conversation.