Trump Announces Deal with Iran, Says Agreement Is Finished

U.S. President Donald Trump said an agreement with Iran had been reached, posting, “The deal is done, congratulations!” The report says Iran delayed its announcement until after midnight local time so it would not look like a birthday gift to Trump, while still remaining within the U.S. date that would suit Washington. Iranian officials told The New York Times that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to travel to Switzerland on Friday to sign the deal, in what would be the first official meeting between senior Iranian and American officials in 47 years.

Iranian reports said Qatar's negotiating delegation left Tehran after 17 hours of talks, during which a draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran was prepared. The Times also quoted a senior Trump administration official rejecting Iranian claims that Tehran would receive $12 billion immediately upon approval of the accord. The official said the arrangement is performance-based and tied to compliance with commitments, as had been stated in recent weeks.

Trump told The New York Times that if Iran ultimately fails to reach a final nuclear deal with the United States, he will resume military strikes against Tehran or turn the U.S. into a regional “watchman” in exchange for 20% of Middle East revenues. He said his decision to strike Iran at the end of February, and the naval blockade imposed after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, “changed the balance of power in the Middle East in favor of the United States.” He also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping reach the arrangement.

Separately, Britain, France, Germany and Italy signaled they are prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to “clear and verifiable” steps in its nuclear program, after the Washington-Tehran agreement to end the fighting. The report was first published by N12.