Trump Signs Preliminary U.S.-Iran Deal, Delays JD Vance Trip to Switzerland

A preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed by Trump set off a chain of diplomatic moves, including a delay of Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Switzerland to negotiate the terms of a peace agreement with Iran on Friday.

NPR reported that the memorandum of understanding signed by Trump on Wednesday promised “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts,” and it also promised to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

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NPR said the United States lifted its naval blockade on Iran after the preliminary agreement, and it described a 60-day window, extendable by mutual agreement, for the two sides to resolve enmity that goes back “many decades.”

The agreement’s immediate context was still shaped by fighting in Lebanon, where NPR said Israel continued to heavily bombard Lebanon despite the agreement promising to end all military operations, including in Lebanon.

In Pakistan’s account, Shahbaz Sharif said the two sides agreed on an “immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts,” and he said the official signing ceremony would be held on Friday, June 19, in Switzerland.

NPR said Israel remained defiant against the deal, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying his troops will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as Israel’s security requires it.

NPR also quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying, “Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” as Israel’s offensive continued.

Al-Masry Al-Youm

In parallel, NPR reported that Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media on Monday that “Trump's agreement does not bind us,” and that “We are not partners to this agreement that does not ensure our security.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian-language report said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that negotiations between the United States of America and Iran would begin tomorrow, Sunday, at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland.

It also said the provisional agreement gives the two countries 60 days to address issues not covered by the memorandum of understanding, including what will happen regarding Iran's nuclear program, with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar and envoys Steve Weitkoff and Jared Kushner already in Switzerland.

NPR said the memorandum of understanding created a 60-day window extendable by mutual agreement, and it described how even before the talks, Trump framed the deal’s fragility by calling it “a memorandum of understanding.”

NPR reported that Iranian state media said the country’s national security council will suspend tolls paid by ships for 60 days per the deal, while ships must still request Iran's permission through a newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority before passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In Pakistan’s account, Shahbaz Sharif said that as soon as provisions begin to be implemented, mediators will organize a series of meetings during the current week to complete arrangements and monitor implementation mechanisms.

The Egyptian-language report said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that Pakistan would continue to facilitate the process in its capacity as a mediator, with a view to moving forward with the understandings reached under the memorandum of understanding in Islamabad.

NPR tied the stakes to the agreement’s promise to end military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and it noted that the conflict in Lebanon was still ongoing as Israel continued its offensive despite the deal’s stated commitments.