US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu almost derailed a peace deal between the US and Iran in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, following announcements that the agreement had been reached.
Trump called Netanyahu “a very difficult guy” and asserted that he “should be very thankful” to the US for negotiating the agreement, “because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”
The memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington was announced on Sunday and will be signed on Friday in Switzerland.
According to Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, the signing of the agreement will kickstart 60 days of further negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other issues.
Trump told the NYT that if no final nuclear agreement is reached with Tehran, the US would restart attacks on Iran and become “the guardian of the Middle East.”
Trump, Pakistan PM announce deal on social media
The deal’s agreement was announced on Sunday night by both Trump in a Truth Social post and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on X/Twitter.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump stated in his post, adding his “congratulations to all.”
“I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade.”
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Trump clarified that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened to allow the transit of commercial vessels on Friday after the agreement is signed.
In his own post, Sharif said that “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
Sharif added that, now that the memorandum of understanding has been agreed upon, mediators will facilitate a series of “pre-implementation discussions” this week to continue technical talks.
Sharif thanked both the US and Iran for their “commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” and extended his appreciation to Qatar for their support in facilitating negotiations.
The Iranian semi-official news outlet Tasnim reported that Gharibabadi said the full text of the agreement will be released after the official signing ceremony.
Gharibabadi also stated that after the deal is signed by both countries, a 60-day period of further talks will begin. The talks will cover topics including the termination of sanctions against Iran, Iran’s nuclear program, and the establishment of a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the deal’s terms.