Mojtaba Khamenei, who said he had not been seen in public since he took office in March, said he approved the deal with the US despite having a "different view" and that Masoud Pezeshkian had assured him he would "protect the rights of the Iranian nation."
The US lifted its naval blockade of Iran after the two countries signed a deal to end the war in the Middle East; US Central Command confirmed the blockade ended on X in accordance with the President's direction and said some US vessels would remain in the general area.
US Central Command Action
JD Vance told a White House briefing that the deal had come into effect, that it triggered the 60-day period of further talks, and that he would likely head to Switzerland for technical negotiations; he said Iran is "not an easy country to get out of." JD Vance also said the Memorandum of Understanding requires Iran to destroy its stockpile of enriched uranium and to show it will not fund proxy groups in the region, and he said Iran will not receive money or sanctions relief unless it meets obligations set out in the agreement.
Mojtaba Khamenei Statement
Mojtaba Khamenei said he allowed the deal to go ahead after assurances from Masoud Pezeshkian and described Donald Trump as having "out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage" to bring the deal about; Mojtaba Khamenei also said there would be "in-person negotiations in the future" but that such talks "will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position."
Switzerland Talks and Timeline
The US-Iran deal — described as a Memorandum of Understanding comprising 14 core points — includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, requires that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, and commits to a $300bn (£227bn) fund for reconstruction and economic development of Iran while specifying that the US is not required to contribute to that fund. The agreement binds both sides to achieving a final deal in a maximum of 60 days; the 60-day period can be extended with mutual consent. Organizers cancelled the official signing ceremony that had been set to take place in Switzerland on Friday after the deal had already been signed remotely.
Bill Cassidy disputed the agreement's merits, calling it the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades" and saying "Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works." Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect "on all fronts" and that he expects countries in the Middle East to "maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to take place."
The deal ends the naval blockade and opens the Strait of Hormuz immediately, affects US vessels, Iranian authorities and regional shipping, and starts a defined negotiation clock; the remaining concrete step now is when US and Iranian representatives will meet in Switzerland for further talks — when exactly will US and Iranian representatives meet in Switzerland for further talks?
