Trump casts doubt on timing of Iran MOU signing
The president said a US-Iran memorandum could be signed within days, while warning bombing could resume if Tehran does not “behave.”
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
4 min read
US President Donald Trump said a planned memorandum of understanding with Iran may still fail, even as he predicted the agreement would be completed soon, Al Jazeera reported. The uncertainty matters because the document is meant to start ending the US-Israeli war with Iran and open a 60-day negotiating period on harder disputes.
Speaking Wednesday at the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, Trump declined to give a firm assurance that a final signing scheduled for Friday would take place. In comments during the day, he also said Washington could return to bombing Iran if Tehran does not “behave,” according to Al Jazeera.
At a news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump compared the Iran talks to other deals he said had shifted unexpectedly. “So, you never know with deals, do you? But you’re going to find out pretty soon,” Trump said. “I think it will be done.”
Later, Trump suggested the signing could come earlier than Friday, saying it might happen Thursday or the following day, Al Jazeera reported. His remarks added to mixed signals from Washington over how settled the MOU is.
What the agreement would cover
According to Al Jazeera, the United States and Iran have said the MOU would end fighting on all fronts, lift the US naval blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have also described it as a starting point for 60 days of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, Tehran’s support for regional proxies and future control of the Strait of Hormuz.
US officials have said the document was signed electronically on Sunday, while also saying the parties can still back out before the final signing. The official text has not been released, but a senior US official read 14 points to reporters, Al Jazeera reported.
The senior official said Washington would issue immediate sanctions waivers for Iran’s fossil fuel sector once the deal proceeds. The MOU also restates Iran’s position that it will not seek a nuclear weapon and says both countries would keep the current status quo on nuclear issues during the 60-day period, according to the official cited by Al Jazeera.
The official said talks during that window would address Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the future of its nuclear programme. The MOU also includes a plan, to be developed by the US and regional partners, for at least $300bn in reconstruction and economic development for Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump said that reconstruction plan would depend on Iran “doing things right.” He also said frozen Iranian assets belong to Iran and suggested they would have to be returned, arguing that failing to do so would damage confidence in the dollar, according to Al Jazeera.
Lawmakers press for the text
The lack of a public document has drawn criticism in Washington. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, wrote on X that a month of talks had produced a short deal that lawmakers could not review, and said he needed to see the text as a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, told reporters that Republicans were pressing the White House to release the agreement. “We’re trying to get it,” Thune said, according to Al Jazeera.
Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera that Washington and Tehran have stressed different parts of the agreement publicly. She said releasing the document before a formal signing and before key details are complete could increase political resistance and make implementation harder.
Vice President JD Vance told CBS News that Iran and regional mediators, rather than Washington, favored a slower release. Vance said the administration wanted the details made public so Americans could see what the deal contains.
Trump also used his G7 remarks to praise the MOU and said future talks would produce a nuclear deal stronger than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action reached under former President Barack Obama, according to Al Jazeera. He claimed the US-Israeli war had produced “regime change” in Iran, while Al Jazeera said experts broadly assess Iran’s government remains in place and some new leaders have hardened their positions.
Trump described Iran’s new leadership group as “very smart” and said he viewed them as less radicalized. He also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military approach in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks have continued, while saying Washington had sent Israel a copy of the MOU, Al Jazeera reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.