US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday (local time) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) roughly four months after the and launched attacks on Iran in late February.
Despite the two sides signing an agreement that will pave the way for further negotiations in a 60-day period, tensions continue to remain high.
Esmaiel Baqaei, spokesperson of the Iran’s foreign ministry, on Thursday (local time) said that when the presidents of both the US and Iran, and Masoud Pezeshkian, had signed an agreement, the cost of breaking it will be higher, ISNA news agency reported.
Quick answers to key questions
What is the purpose of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Pezeshkian?⌵
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims to end hostilities between the US and Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and initiate a 60-day negotiation period to reach a final agreement on sanctions and Iran’s nuclear program.
Why did Iranian officials state that the cost of violating the deal will be higher now?⌵
Iranian officials indicated that with the agreement signed by both presidents, the consequences of any violations would be more severe, thereby increasing accountability and discouraging breaches of the MoU.
How does the US-Iran MoU differ from the previous JCPOA agreement?⌵
The new MoU differs from the JCPOA as it is structured as a 14-point framework without specifying detailed commitments regarding enriched uranium or sanctions relief, while the JCPOA was a comprehensive agreement with defined terms.
Should the public expect a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland after the virtual agreement was signed?⌵
There are uncertainties surrounding the scheduled formal signing ceremony in Switzerland, as Iranian officials indicated reconsideration of the meeting following the virtual signing of the agreement.
What are the key conditions laid out in the US-Iran MoU regarding nuclear weapons?⌵
The MoU includes Iran’s reaffirmation not to develop or procure nuclear weapons, but it leaves the details of uranium handling to be decided during the upcoming negotiation period.
His remarks came after he noted that Iranian ships have entered ports without any issue and cargoes have also been unloaded from ports without facing any hindrance.
The remarks came hours after the 14-point framework agreement was signed virtually by the two leaders. Trump, who was in Versailles during the signing of the agreement, told reporters, “I signed it in Versailles.” The signed the agreement a day after he threatened to resume strikes in Iran if the latter failed to honour its commitment.
Cost of violating the deal will be higher now: Baqaei
The official signing ceremony of the deal was previously scheduled to take place in on Friday. However, after the two leaders signed the agreement virtually, questions linger over the fate of the meeting which was to take place on Friday.
Addressing the concerns over the scheduled meeting, the Iranian spokesperson said, “We concluded that the better option is for the presidents of the two countries to sign the text virtually, without the need to be present in a specific location. There are multiple reasons for this decision, one of the most important of which is that when the text reaches the signature of the highest officials of the two countries, the cost of violating it will also be higher. I think there’s no room for holding another ceremony.”
Friday meeting unconfirmed: Baqaei
Baqaei stated that the Friday talks in Switzerland are no longer confirmed and said, “Friday’s Iran-US talks in Switzerland are not confirmed. The Friday session was confirmed until a few hours ago, but when it was decided that the presidents of the two sides would sign the agreement, it was decided to give more thought to the Friday session. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Presidents of Iran and the United States,” ISNA quoted him as saying.
Uncertainty over Switzerland meeting looms
Baqaei’s remarks came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister deleted a social media post regarding a US-Iran peace deal ceremony. However, news agency Reuters, citing the Swiss government on Thursday, said the meeting will take place as planned.
In a statement, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “As things stand, the plan is still for the U.S. and Iran, along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar and other involved countries, to meet tomorrow at Buergenstock for initial negotiations about implementing the agreement.”
“No further information is currently available regarding the schedule and details of this meeting,” the statement added.
US-Iran MoU: Here’s what’s included
The 14-point is aimed at ending hostilities between Washington and Tehran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and launching a 60-day negotiation process to come to a final agreement on and the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The Iranian spokesperson noted that the two sides, during the 60 days, will be discussing the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions. However, he maintained that the transfer of enriched uranium outside the country was “unacceptable” to them, and added that the Islamic Republic’s superpower status was not just a slogan, because they ‘defeated’ two nuclear powers.
He noted, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is the skin of Iran; and the enemies wanted to peel off the skin of Iran. Every patriotic person understood that this separation (between Iran and the Islamic Republic) is an illusory separation.”
He further said the agreement was signed in both English and Persian and leaves no room for ambiguity. “The memorandum of understanding is signed in two languages. We insisted that the text must be available in both Persian and English. If the text were only in English, we might have encountered subjective translations. The Persian text is fully aligned with the English text and is fully valid from our perspective.”
However, it remains to be seen whether the two sides will meet in Switzerland, amid lingering uncertainty over the proposed signing ceremony.
