US and Iran reportedly sign second memorandum of understanding - Axios
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The US and Iran have once again signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement has already entered into force, according to Axios.
As media reports, the signing ceremony was scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday, but sources indicate that the possibility of signing and implementing the agreement earlier was discussed. The reason is that both sides have agreed on the earliest possible opening of the strait.
Another factor could have been political pressure on the White House to publish the memorandum of understanding. One source claimed that it was Iran that demanded the text not be published until the official signing, but denied the claim that the White House had succumbed to political pressure.
How the signing took place
A senior administration official told journalists that the first agreement was signed electronically on Sunday. Specifically, by US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance. On the Iranian side, the document was signed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.
The media also reported that Trump signed the document on Wednesday during a dinner in France with President Emmanuel Macron.
Axios sources report that this was already the second signing. However, it is unclear why two signings were needed.
News Nation journalist Kellie Meyer also writes that officials have not yet answered the question of what the difference is between the digital signature obtained on Wednesday evening and the digital signature obtained on Sunday.
However, according to Axios sources, the meeting of the American and Iranian delegations, led by Vance and Ghalibaf, will take place as planned on Friday. They plan to discuss the start of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
At the same time, CNN notes that, according to their source, Trump signed a paper copy on Wednesday.
What they are saying in Iran
The post Clash Report published a comment by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. According to him, the text of the memorandum was signed in both Persian and English.
"If only the English text existed, translation could have led to interpretive disputes. But now both sides have signed the Persian text in addition to the English text," he said.
However, whether the meeting in Switzerland will ultimately take place remains unclear.
What else is known
Yesterday, the US released the official text of the memorandum of understanding with Iran. The document was published after protests over the fact that its text had not yet been made public. The agreement consists of 14 points — you can read them at this link.
After the signing of the framework agreement, the US and Iran will have 60 days to finalise the final version of the peace agreement. Trump has already threatened that if this does not happen, there will be new bombings.
