The framework agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the Iran war will be signed on Friday in the Swiss Alps. As the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed to the AFP news agency on Tuesday, the ceremony will take place in a luxury hotel near the city of Lucerne. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the USA has now lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Despite the agreement, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expects lengthy discussions about Tehran’s nuclear program.
According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, a luxury hotel on the Bürgenstock mountain above Lake Lucerne was selected for the signing of the agreement between the warring parties. The resort located there was suggested as a meeting location by the Pakistani and Qatari mediators as well as by the USA and Iran. The hotel complex is difficult to reach and can therefore be easily secured.
US lifts blockade of Iranian ports
The USA and Iran had already digitally signed the agreement reached on Sunday. Among other things, it provides for an immediate ceasefire throughout the entire region – including in Lebanon. A phase of 60 days is also planned during which both countries want to work out a final peace agreement. It will also be about the Iranian nuclear program – one of the sticking points of a comprehensive peace agreement.
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the USA ended its two-month blockade of Iranian ports on Tuesday. Tehran “placed value on this step from the beginning,” explained Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Rawanchi.
Trump announces congressional referral
The exact details of the agreement remained unclear. Particularly controversial points were the possible easing of US sanctions against Iran and reparation payments to Tehran.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wanted to submit the agreement to the US Congress. “I never thought about sending it to Parliament,” Trump said when asked by journalists on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France. But he likes this idea.
The US President said he would “not just publish” the exact wording of the agreement. “I will certainly hold a press conference and read it to you down to the last comma to make sure the press reports it correctly.”
Disagreement over Strait of Hormuz
According to Trump, the main focus of the agreement is that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. If this were to be the case, “hell would fall on the Islamic Republic,” he had previously said in Evian.
There are also different statements about the Strait of Hormuz, which is largely closed by Iran. Trump had said that the important strait would be reopened and, according to him, tolls should not be charged. Tehran, on the other hand, speaks of reopening the Strait of Hormuz “within 30 days”. Iran also wants to continue charging fees for ships.
International reactions and doubts about peace
The framework agreement that has now been reached is a “step in the right direction,” said German Foreign Minister Wadephul on the RTL program “Nachtjournal Spezial,” according to an advance report on Tuesday. However, the “main issue, namely the exclusion of Iran’s nuclear armament,” will “need to be discussed for a while longer.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi also expects difficult negotiations between the USA and Iran on a final peace agreement. In order to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East and the Gulf region, “continued tireless efforts from all parties” are needed, he said in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani colleague Ishaq Dar, according to his ministry.
Region remains tense despite agreement
The USA and Israel started the war on February 28th with air strikes on Iran. Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel, US facilities in the region and targets in several Gulf countries. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah also dragged Lebanon into the Iran war with attacks on Israel. Israel responded with air strikes on numerous targets in Lebanon and sent ground troops across the border.
Lebanese media meanwhile reported four deaths in new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. Israel’s army said it had responded to renewed Hezbollah rocket fire.
After the US-Iranian framework agreement was announced, Israel’s government declared that it would “not compromise on the protection of our citizens.” Hezbollah has never recognized a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon. The militia also rejects their disarmament through Beirut.
