Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding Has Been Signed by Both Parties

Esmaeil Baghaei. (Source: IRNA)

JAKARTA - The memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States "officially concluded" after being signed digitally by both countries, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, in an interview with state television station IRIB.

"It was agreed that the Iran-US memorandum of understanding would be signed digitally," Baghaei told IRIB, adding that although there were plans for the negotiating team to be in Geneva, there would be no signing ceremony in Switzerland, CNN reported (18/6).

Previously, a US official said a formal signing ceremony would take place in Switzerland on Friday with the presence of US Vice President JD Vance.

"The Iran-US memorandum is now officially completed because both parties have signed it," Baghaei said.

According to the ministry spokesman, violating the memorandum would "have greater consequences" after it was signed by the two presidents.

Baghaei said that if the text is reviewed now, there will be nothing new that has not been discussed before.

"We, more or less, have stated all these points before," Baghaei said.

The memorandum, he said, emphasizes that the 60-day negotiations will focus entirely on nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions.

"The wise decision of the Islamic Republic is not to negotiate the nuclear issue at this stage," Baghaei told the television station. "It was decided that the focus should be on ending the war, and we have achieved it," he said.

Earlier, President Donald Trump officially signed a copy of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles, France, according to two US officials.

The US then sent photos of the signed agreement to the Iranians, one of the officials said.

Another senior US government official said earlier this week, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran virtually, and the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document virtually for the Iranian side.

But a US official said on Wednesday, President Trump had signed a physical copy, and also stated that the President had not signed digitally before, but rather "witnessed" the signing by Vice President Vance.

"On Sunday, a memorandum of understanding was signed digitally by Vice President Vance and Chairman Ghalibaf and witnessed by President Trump. Now, it has been signed by President Trump and President (Masoud) Pezeshkian," the official said.

US officials said a formal signing ceremony with Vice President Vance is still expected to take place on Friday.