Iran says signing of memorandum by Iranian, US presidents ‘is on the table’

Iran said on Wednesday the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the US by President Masoud Pezeshkian and his American counterpart Donald Trump "is on the table."

"This idea is on the table and is still being considered," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told a news briefing, as cited by the state news agency IRNA.

On June 14, the US and Iran announced that they had agreed on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their military conflict. The signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Switzerland.

A source familiar with the Iranian negotiating team told the Fars news agency that the proposal has been put forward for Iran and the US to "electronically" sign the text of the memorandum before their delegations travel to Geneva.

The source said the move would allow the Switzerland meetings to focus on technical details and specialized issues related to the 60-day period following the agreement.

The proposal is intended "to accelerate implementation of the understanding and avoid delays in future negotiations," the source added.

However, the source stressed that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet approved the proposal."

'NO CHANGES'

Baghaei said "no changes" have been made to Tehran's plans to hold the Switzerland meeting to sign the agreement.

He said moving to the next phase of negotiations depends on the implementation of existing commitments, saying both sides had pledged "to permanently and immediately end the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon."

"This is extremely important for moving to the next stage," he said.

Though the memorandum calls for halting war on all fronts, including Lebanon, Israel has continued its daily attacks in the Arab country, which have left thousands killed and wounded and more than 1 million displaced since March 2.

Baghaei warned that the continued Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanon would constitute "a violation of the memorandum of understanding" and said "the necessary measures will be taken."

He said the parties "have not yet addressed the details of the nuclear file," while asserting that the US has committed to lifting all sanctions, including those related to UN Security Council measures and decisions by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as both primary and secondary US sanctions.

According to the spokesman, the two sides have agreed to hold negotiations for 60 days with the aim of reaching a final understanding.

The US naval blockade "must end within 30 days," he said.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said the parties had agreed to restore maritime navigation to normal within a specified timeframe.

"This is our duty, and we will carry it out on our own. There will be no need for the participation or intervention of any other parties," he said.

The spokesman added that Iran and Oman would cooperate to formulate a mechanism for managing the Strait of Hormuz and that Tehran would exchange views with other regional countries "when necessary."

The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.