US President Donald Trump referred to the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding” between the United States and Tehran this evening (Monday), and declared that “the whole deal is sealed.” According to him, the Strait of Hormuz will be fully opened this Friday, and Iran will not have nuclear weapons, “in the hope of building good relations between the countries.” Trump made it clear that there will be no easing of sanctions on Iran until it does what is required of it. The president also addressed the issue of Lebanon, saying: “We want to see if we can sort out the Lebanon issue — it never seems to end.”
Trump’s announcement comes after the White House’s statements on the subject, following the online signing of the memorandum of understanding. On the American side, President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance signed, and on the Iranian side, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Qalibaf signed. The White House stated that “we have signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran.” It was also noted that to the extent that the Iranians are willing to work with the United States, prove that they are not building a nuclear weapon and are not funding terrorist proxies, and behave as a state, the United States will treat them accordingly, also for the sake of Iran’s prosperity. American officials added that the agreement “will change the Middle East” and that the economic and military pressure exerted on Iran has borne fruit.
Regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, it was reported that “it takes time to open because the mines have to be cleared, there are ships there — in two weeks we will return to normal in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The White House also claims that “most of the Iranian nuclear program was completely destroyed and buried underground in Operation Midnight Hammer.” The official signing ceremony will take place on Friday — an event that has not occurred in 47 years, marking a dramatic change in relations.
The White House estimates that “there will be a significant increase in traffic in the Strait, which has already begun,” and that Iran “could be the richest country in the world if they go with us.” It will become clear in two to three weeks whether there is a chance of a full and permanent agreement between the countries. However, the US has made it clear that a reduction in US military forces in the region will only take place after a final and binding agreement is signed.
The Americans are expected to publish the details of the memorandum of understanding within 24–48 hours, with officials stating: “We are ready to unfreeze funds and lift sanctions if the Iranians cooperate.”
One of the most important statements from Israel’s perspective is the reference to Lebanon. According to a senior US official: “If Iran cannot control Hezbollah and they attack Israel, Israel has the right to defend itself.” The US has made it clear unequivocally: “An Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is not part of the agreement.”