Iran and US interim ceasefire memorandum takes effect
Tehran says it will closely track US compliance after Trump and Pezeshkian electronically signed a framework aimed at ending the conflict.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have electronically signed an interim memorandum intended to halt the nearly four-month conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, Al Jazeera reported. The framework has already entered into force, according to Pakistani officials and statements from both Washington and Tehran cited by the network.
The agreement calls for military operations to end on all fronts, for Iran to be prevented from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon, and for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as a global shipping route, according to Al Jazeera. The memorandum sets up negotiations on a final agreement over the next 60 days, though analysts cited by the outlet said that timeline may be difficult to meet.
Tehran warns Washington on compliance
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the memorandum had been finalised and signed electronically by Tehran and Washington, Al Jazeera reported. Baghaei said Iran would watch how the United States carries out its obligations “without any leniency” and would not meet its own commitments if Washington failed to do so.
Baghaei also said Iran’s missile programme would not be part of negotiations, according to Al Jazeera. That position leaves one of Tehran’s most sensitive military issues outside the framework as nuclear talks are expected to begin.
Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at the Soufan Center, told Al Jazeera that talks over Iran’s nuclear programme were likely to last longer than the 60-day period described in the memorandum. Katzman said the negotiations would involve detailed work on uranium enrichment, stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, verification measures and inspections.
Republican criticism in Washington
Trump is facing criticism from several Republicans over the interim arrangement, Al Jazeera reported. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Senator Bill Cassidy were among those who objected to the deal.
According to Al Jazeera, critics inside the Republican Party argued that the framework does not go far enough to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Some also objected to a $300bn reconstruction plan for Iran and compared the arrangement with the 2015 nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama, which Trump withdrew from during his first term.
Lebanon remains unsettled
The agreement also raises questions for Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been operating in the south. Rami Khouri, a distinguished fellow at the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera that a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon was unlikely soon and that US-Iran negotiations could take “four to five months” to finish.
Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr, reporting from southern Lebanon, said the conflict there was “far from over” as Israeli attacks continued in the area. She reported that many residents were worried about whether Israel would observe the ceasefire and that wide areas of southern Lebanon remained inaccessible to civilians after months of fighting and destruction.
Security sources told Al Jazeera they believed Israel could still try to expand control over strategic positions along the border. The memorandum has been described as a possible opening, but its effect will depend on whether the parties carry out the commitments now in force.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.