The United States and Iran on Wednesday released the text of an interim agreement signed by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian aimed at ending the war that began in February. The document extends an existing ceasefire by another 60 days and opens the way for negotiations on a permanent settlement.
The 14-point agreement calls for an immediate end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the full resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz without charge, the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports, the waiver of US sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and the creation of a $300bn investment fund for the country’s post-war reconstruction.
Trump Threatens to Resume Attacks
Despite signing the agreement, Trump warned that Washington was prepared to resume military operations if Tehran failed to honor its commitments.
“We’re going to bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement”, the US president told a press conference during the G7 summit in France. “I don’t want them to. I want them to honor the agreement.”
Earlier, Trump had issued a further threat: “If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?”
Iran’s leaders did not respond to the threats and instead presented the agreement as a diplomatic success. Iran’s lead negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Tehran had gained far more through negotiations than it could have achieved by military means.
“Everything we sought to achieve through military action, we obtained several times over through negotiation; it was not even comparable”, he told state television.
The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on 28 February, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders on the first day. The conflict quickly spread across the region and has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, according to available figures.
The fighting has also driven up energy prices, renewed inflationary pressures and raised fears of a major food supply crisis in developing countries.
Deal Leaves Key Iranian Capabilities Intact
Under one of the agreement’s central provisions, Iran has undertaken not to build nuclear weapons, reaffirming a commitment it has made for decades. Tehran also agreed to the on-site down-blending of its enriched uranium stockpile under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran rejected Trump’s demand that the uranium be removed from the country.
Analysts noted that the outcome represented a significant retreat from the original goals set out by the US administration. Iran’s theocratic government remains in power, its highly enriched uranium has not been surrendered, its ballistic missile capabilities have not been destroyed and Tehran has not ended its support for armed groups hostile to Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump has also retreated from his previous position on Iranian missiles. In February, he promised to destroy all of Iran’s missiles and “raze their missile industry to the ground”.
“I’m saying that if other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some”, Trump told reporters in Paris after leaving the summit.
G7 leaders welcomed the agreement and called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. Fighting there has subsided since the agreement was reached on Sunday but has not stopped.
Israel was not involved in the negotiations and has distanced itself from the US-Iran agreement. Its military continues to occupy southern Lebanon, and the country says it retains the right to use force.
Trump Chides Netanyahu over Lebanon
Tensions between Washington and Jerusalem were also evident in Trump’s remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US president urged Israel to take a more restrained approach to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“Netanyahu happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes”, Trump told reporters. “We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi.”
“You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.”
Lebanese state media reported fresh Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire in several southern towns on Wednesday. Lebanese security sources said Hezbollah had launched two drone attacks against Israeli forces in the south, although the group did not publicly claim responsibility.
Israel later said five of its soldiers had been injured in the two attacks.
Oil prices fell on Wednesday amid expectations that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would fully resume. Brent crude futures dropped below $80, their lowest level since the war began, before recovering by more than 1% after Trump threatened renewed military action.
(Reuters, est)