US President Donald Trump announced that he had “signed the deal” with Iran, assuring that Tehran “will not acquire nuclear weapons” and the Strait of Hormuz “will be fully open on Friday.”
“It’s important that oil is falling and stocks are rising,” was one of his first comments after it became known that the memorandum of understanding had been signed electronically.
Upon arriving in Evian, France, for the G7 summit, Trump announced that Vice President J. D. Vance would travel to Switzerland for the in-person signing of the agreement on Friday in Geneva, but he left open the possibility that he himself would not attend the ceremony. “I may or may not be involved,” he said.
The US president also said that the text of the agreement would be made public “in the near future”, sometime “after Friday”.
Regarding the lifting of sanctions on Iran, Trump said that no such action would be taken until the Iranians “do what they’re supposed to do.”
Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon is not a prerequisite
A few minutes earlier, a senior US official who asked not to be named assured that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon is not a condition for the agreement between the US and Iran. Israel will have the right to defend itself against possible attacks by Hezbollah, he added.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he said that the memorandum makes it clear that it will be opened “toll-free for 60 days.” The US also expects that free navigation in the Straits will be part of the final agreement.
The US wants to see Iran take verifiable and irreversible steps and is prepared to release frozen funds and ease sanctions, he continued, even saying that “they may make some small gestures at first.”
However, when asked whether the US has already unfrozen any of the Iranian funds, as reported by Iranian media, the official responded negatively, with the word “zero.”
President Trump ‘does not need international help’ to open Hormuz – French President Macron welcomes the deal
US President Donald Trump said today, from the G7 summit in Evian, France, that “no” international help is needed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after reaching an agreement with Iran.
“But I don’t think it would be a bad idea if we had a ship or two from some countries, your country would be great for that, because you never know,” added the American president, flanked by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
The latter reiterated the “offer” of an international military mission under Franco-British command. “As the president (Trump) said, maybe it’s not desirable, maybe it’s not necessary, but, in any case, it shows our will to help,” he stressed.
Macron described the signing of the memorandum of understanding that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz as “a very important step for peace.”
Source: APE