"This Was Not Easy": Trump As He Signs Deal To End US-Iran War

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a peace deal today, aimed at bringing an end to the months-long war in the Middle East. Trump put his signature to the memorandum of understanding during dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles following a G7 summit. LIVE UPDATES

Moments before signing the deal, Trump, holding a pen in one hand, told the leaders sitting with him: “This was not easy – that I can tell you”.

He then signed the paper and held it up for the guests.

A video showed Macron – who was seated next to Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who was standing behind Trump, and other guests applauding.

“Just signed it,” Trump told reporters as he emerged from the palace.

The Iranian Embassy in India also posted pictures of Pezeshkian holding the signed peace deal.

The 14-point US-Iran agreement provides for an immediate cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon, and commits both countries to pursuing a final agreement within 60 days. It also includes provisions for the removal of the US naval blockade, safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, phased sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and a US-backed economic development programme for Iran worth at least USD 300 billion.

The memorandum also states that Iran has reaffirmed it will not develop or acquire nuclear weapons and envisages future discussions regarding enriched uranium stockpiles under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

‘Time to test’

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed the signing of the peace deal with the US, saying it is now “time to test” the implementation of the agreement.

“The text of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was finalised with the signatures of the presidents — now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement,” he said.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told the country’s state-run Press TV that they are engaging diplomatically with the US from a “position of strength”.

“The difference between the current negotiations and previous periods is that today, this banner of battlefield victory, which both enemies and friends have acknowledged, serves as the backing for negotiations. Every war that ends in victory, if it does not ultimately lead to a legal and political document and those victories are not recorded, will bring no benefit,” he added.

World leaders react

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was with Trump when the peace agreement was signed, called the deal an “important step in the right direction for compatriots”.

“President Trump signed tonight at Versailles the agreement between Iran and the United States. This agreement paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. It is an important step in the right direction for our compatriots that will soon enable a decrease in energy prices,” he wrote in a post on X.

Pakistan, which had briefly acted as a ‘mediator’ in the US-Iran war, welcomed the signing of the peace deal.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, said that the deal “demonstrates the commitment of both sides to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict”.

“Islamabad MoU shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, the Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade,” he said.

Sharif further congratulated Trump – whose “steadfast commitment to diplomacy and preference for peaceful resolution have once again helped end a conflict that could have led to devastating consequences for the region and beyond”.


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