Iran and the US have formally signed the memorandum of understanding that ends the war that began on Feb. 28, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced, while American sources also confirmed the move. The signing was carried out remotely, with the Iranian side signing the memorandum in Tehran while Trump signed it at the Palace of Versailles during his visit to France.
The signing took place ahead of the timetable that had previously been announced, under which the agreement was supposed to be signed Friday at an official ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. According to Axios, the move was brought forward with the consent of both sides and the mediators in order to allow the Strait of Hormuz to be opened sooner. A diplomatic source from one of the mediating countries told the website that both sides agreed this was in their mutual interest. The meeting in Geneva tomorrow is still expected to take place as planned, headed by Vice President JD Vance on the American side and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the Iranian side, and will focus on launching negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later addressed the signing of the agreement between Iran and the US: The Strait of Hormuz will reopen, and the American blockade of Iranian ports will also end immediately. Sharif also confirmed on X that the signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding would take place in Switzerland.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed in a briefing to reporters that the memorandum had formally entered into effect, since both sides had signed it. He said negotiations between the sides on lifting sanctions and on Iran's nuclear program would now begin and continue for 60 days, with the possibility of an extension. "Our work has not ended, it has only begun. We must monitor implementation by the other side. Without any compromise, we will monitor the other side's compliance with its commitments, and we will meet our commitments only if the other side meets its own," he said.
Baghaei addressed the issue of Lebanon in the memorandum. "In the first clause of the memorandum of understanding, Lebanon is mentioned three times, including respect for its territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said, claiming that the ceasefire and the end of the war in Lebanon were as important to Iran "as they were to Lebanon itself." The spokesman claimed that after the Israeli strike in Dahiyeh and following Iran's threats, negotiations were held in which it was agreed that the US would meet its commitments immediately, and that as a result the cancellation of the naval blockade took effect immediately.
Iran's President Pezeshkian SIGNS MoU between Washington & Tehran — Trump signature CLEARLY VISIBLE on paper pic.twitter.com/SXUQbRWgJP
— RT (@RT_com) June 18, 2026
Baghaei also said the process of lifting sanctions on Iranian oil was beginning today. The spokesman noted that alongside the signing of the memorandum, separate negotiations were held on three additional issues: the release of frozen Iranian assets, compensation for war damage and reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions on oil. "The US is obligated to remove all obstacles," he said, noting that Iran had "bitter experience" with the US violating past commitments regarding the release of assets, and that all of this had been taken into account in the negotiations.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said Iran would collect payment for the "services" it would provide to ships passing through the strait. He said the new management mechanisms for the strait had already largely been agreed with Oman, and that safe passage for vessels would be guaranteed while preserving Iran's sovereignty over the strait. He also addressed the issue of Iran's missiles, which the American president said today would be discussed in a regional framework while recognizing Iran's right to possess them: "Iran's missiles are meant to be launched, not negotiated over. Iran's defense capabilities will not be discussed in any track and with any party."
