Trump Says Iran Deal Is Signed, No Nuclear Weapons for Tehran

President Donald Trump said Monday evening that a memorandum of understanding with Iran has been signed and that the “whole deal” is complete. He said the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen on Friday and that Iran will not get nuclear weapons, expressing hope for better relations between the two countries. Trump also said sanctions will not be eased until Tehran does what is required of it.

The White House said the agreement was signed online by Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on the American side, and by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the Iranian side. The administration said Iran must cooperate with the United States, prove it is not building nuclear weapons, stop funding terror proxies, and act like a normal state before Washington responds accordingly.

Trump also addressed Lebanon, saying, “We want to see if this can be sorted out,” and added, “it seems like it never ends.” A senior U.S. official said that if Iran cannot control Hezbollah and the group attacks Israel, Israel has the right to defend itself. Washington stressed that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is not part of the deal.

U.S. officials said the agreement will “change the Middle East” and that economic and military pressure on Iran had worked. They said most of Iran’s nuclear program was “completely destroyed” and buried underground in Operation Midnight Hammer. The formal signing ceremony is set for Friday, the first such event in 47 years, and the full details of the memorandum are expected within 24 to 48 hours. U.S. officials also said troop reductions in the region would come only after a final binding accord, and that sanctions relief and frozen funds could be released if Iran cooperates. They expect to know within two to three weeks whether a permanent deal is possible.