Washington – (AFP): Yesterday, US President Donald Trump defended the understanding to end the war in the Middle East, while his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, praised a “historic” agreement between Iran and the United States, the day after they signed a memorandum paving the way for negotiations scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Friday. Oil prices fell yesterday after the two sides signed a memorandum to end the war that began with the American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, and its repercussions affected various countries in the region and caused turmoil in global energy markets. !
Trump and Pezeshkian signed the memorandum remotely, which stipulates stopping the war on all its fronts, including Lebanon, and opening the Strait of Hormuz, with the two countries beginning negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file and sanctions. !
However, the understanding was criticized by some circles in the United States, as media reported yesterday about the United States making concessions and abandoning the goals it had set when the war began. !
Trump responded to his critics yesterday, saying that the positives of the understanding are emerging quickly. The Republican president wrote on the Truth Social platform, “These idiots who think I was not tough enough on Iran, while stock markets reach record highs and oil prices collapse, are jealous, bad people, or fools.” In turn, Pezeshkian praised the “historic” memorandum of understanding with the United States, Iran’s arch enemy since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. !
Pezeshkian published on social media platforms a copy of the memorandum with his signature and Trump’s signature, in addition to the signature of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, whose country led the mediation between the two parties. He commented, saying, “This is a historical document and a strong message from Iran: peace will be achieved under mutual respect.”
Trump signed the memorandum of understanding at the Palace of Versailles in France during a dinner hosted by his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday evening. !
The agreement was quickly reversed on oil. At approximately 10 a.m. GMT, the price of Brent North Sea crude, the global reference, had declined by 1.9 percent to reach $78.06 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude had lost 2.4 percent to record $74.14. !
Meanwhile, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that negotiations will begin today, Friday, near Lucerne in the center of the country. “At present, the United States and Iran, in addition to mediators Pakistan and Qatar, are still scheduled to meet tomorrow (Friday) in Bürgenstock to begin the first negotiations on implementing the agreement,” the ministry said.
The agreement was likely to be officially signed today in Switzerland, in the presence of US Vice President Jay DeVance and Iranian Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who each led their country’s delegation in the only direct negotiation round held in Islamabad in April. Yesterday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry considered that the agreement constitutes a “solid basis” for future discussions.
