U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran at Versailles Palace in France, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump’s delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The White House released video of the signing, while Iran circulated official images of President Masoud Pezeshkian holding a copy of the document. Israeli officials were reported to be unhappy and disappointed, saying the deal effectively removes all sanctions on Iran.
Trump said during the ceremony, “I tell you honestly, it was not easy,” referring to months of talks after a war that began on February 28 and has strained the region and the global economy. U.S. and Iranian officials had already confirmed the previous night that the broad framework, aimed at ending the war, had been signed electronically and had entered into force. Two people familiar with the matter told Axios that the agreement was meant to speed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the signing, Trump stressed that the accord remains conditional and warned that military action could resume if Tehran fails to comply. Speaking at the G7 summit, he said, “This is a memorandum of understanding, and if I do not like it, we will go back to shooting them and dropping bombs on their heads. If they do not meet what they need to, we will immediately go back to bombing them deep inside their territory.” An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the memorandum was formally signed and that a planned Friday ceremony was canceled.
Iran later published the deal’s terms, which closely matched an earlier U.S. version. The sides pledged not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs and to reach a final agreement within 60 days, though talks could take longer. Iran agreed not to produce or possess nuclear weapons and to return shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to prewar levels, while the United States promised to end all sanctions on Iran and, with regional partners, develop an economic reconstruction plan for Iran. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf called the deal a defeat for Washington, told Iranian state TV that “this agreement is a defeat for the United States,” and confirmed Iran plans to charge fees on ships crossing the strait, saying it will “never” return to its prewar state.
