Mojtaba Khamenei said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view,” his first public response to the agreement since taking office in March. The US lifted its naval blockade of Iran after the deal was signed, and both sides now face a maximum of 60 days to reach a final deal.
Tehran and Washington talks
He said he allowed the agreement to go ahead after assurances from Masoud Pezeshkian that he would “protect the rights of the Iranian nation.” Mojtaba Khamenei also said there would be “in-person negotiations in the future” between Tehran and Washington, a step that keeps the deal moving into direct talks rather than leaving it at a remote signature.
The agreement centers on 14 core points. It includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, requires that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, and includes a commitment to a $300bn (£227bn) fund for the reconstruction and economic development of the country. The US is not required to contribute to that fund.
Switzerland for further talks
The official signing ceremony had been set for Switzerland on Friday, but Mediator Pakistan said the ceremony was cancelled because the deal had already been signed remotely. JD Vance said the deal had come into effect and triggered the 60-day period of further talks, while the White House said the US was looking forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible. US and Iranian representatives are still expected to meet in Switzerland for further talks.
Mojtaba Khamenei also said Donald Trump had, “out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage” to bring the deal about. Trump posted on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect “on all fronts,” including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Bill Cassidy called the agreement the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades” and said “Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works.”
The 60-day period can be extended with mutual consent, which leaves the next round of talks as the place where the remaining terms have to be tightened or the agreement stalls. For readers watching the Strait of Hormuz, the immediate change is that the blockade is over; for Tehran and Washington, the pressure now shifts to whether direct talks can turn the remote deal into a final one.
