WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump may decide to release a preliminary deal with Tehran to end the war before Friday, Vice President JD Vance said after Trump said the agreement had already been signed.The agreement, which was electronically signed by leaders in the US and Iran, is expected to be signed in person in Geneva on Friday.Vance has described the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran as “about a page and a half” and a “very general” document. He added that a lot of the details would be worked out during future negotiations.”On a number of issues, we are going to have to figure this stuff out during the technical negotiation phase, but what the MOU does is set up a framework whereby the Iranians get the benefits of the bargain by meeting their obligations under the bargain,” Vance told CNN.The deal will extend a ceasefire for another 60 days, during which the sides will negotiate details of a final agreement.Announcing the breakthrough on Sunday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose nation had been mediating, said it included “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.The US officials said that while Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire framework, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory was not a condition of the deal. Israel would retain the right to self defence, they added.Speaking on Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “as long as necessary”, and retain the freedom to act against attacks.Senior US officials have also begun giving some details about the deal, briefing that the Strait of Hormuz would re-open on Friday, the same day the deal is formally inked.Trump on Monday said an agreement with Iran has been signed and that the text of the deal would be released sometime after a formal signing.Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of this week’s G7 meeting, Trump said he did not know if he would attend the Friday ceremony expected in Geneva, but that Vice President Vance would be there.“The deal’s all signed. And the strait is already partially opened, as you know,” Trump told reporters shortly after arriving in Evian, France.“On Friday, it’ll be completely open.”Asked when the text of the memorandum of understanding would be made public, Trump said: “Probably pretty soon. I would say after sometime after Friday … I think sometime in the very near future.”Trump said any sanctions relief for Tehran was “really a behavioral thing. If they do what they’re supposed to do, that starts taking effect.”Earlier on Monday, Vance said no funds would be released to Iran in exchange for signing an agreement to halt the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program, Vance also said signing the memorandum of understanding with Iran would not trigger the release of frozen assets.Vance said Iran would receive money only if it took verified steps to eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.“If we see the Iranians making, for example, taking action to eliminate their stockpile of enriched material, then yes, sanctions relief will follow. If we see the Iranians taking action to allow the kind of verification regime that we need to see to know that they’re not going to build a nuclear weapon, yes, sanctions relief will follow,” he said.“If they don’t do the right things, if they don’t allow the verification regime, they’re never going to have the money to rebuild their nuclear program to begin with.”Vance also said Washington expects the economically vital waterway would be open without tolls.“Our expectation is that the Strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long-term,” he said.“That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations. You know that there are a lot of very important details to figure out that we’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward.”The US and Iran said they had agreed terms to end their war and reopen the strait, news that brought relief to markets, although the pact may hinge on an end to hostilities in Lebanon and talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough toward resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.Vance told CNBC that Iran’s foreign minister and House speaker will represent Iran at the signing in Switzerland on Friday.WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump may decide to release a preliminary deal with Tehran to end the war before Friday, Vice President JD Vance said after Trump said the agreement had already been signed.The agreement, which was electronically signed by leaders in the US and Iran, is expected to be signed in person in Geneva on Friday.Vance has described the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran as “about a page and a half” and a “very general” document. He added that a lot of the details would be worked out during future negotiations.”On a number of issues, we are going to have to figure this stuff out during the technical negotiation phase, but what the MOU does is set up a framework whereby the Iranians get the benefits of the bargain by meeting their obligations under the bargain,” Vance told CNN.The deal will extend a ceasefire for another 60 days, during which the sides will negotiate details of a final agreement.Announcing the breakthrough on Sunday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose nation had been mediating, said it included “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.The US officials said that while Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire framework, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory was not a condition of the deal. Israel would retain the right to self defence, they added.Speaking on Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “as long as necessary”, and retain the freedom to act against attacks.Senior US officials have also begun giving some details about the deal, briefing that the Strait of Hormuz would re-open on Friday, the same day the deal is formally inked.Trump on Monday said an agreement with Iran has been signed and that the text of the deal would be released sometime after a formal signing.Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of this week’s G7 meeting, Trump said he did not know if he would attend the Friday ceremony expected in Geneva, but that Vice President Vance would be there.“The deal’s all signed. And the strait is already partially opened, as you know,” Trump told reporters shortly after arriving in Evian, France.“On Friday, it’ll be completely open.”Asked when the text of the memorandum of understanding would be made public, Trump said: “Probably pretty soon. I would say after sometime after Friday … I think sometime in the very near future.”Trump said any sanctions relief for Tehran was “really a behavioral thing. If they do what they’re supposed to do, that starts taking effect.”Earlier on Monday, Vance said no funds would be released to Iran in exchange for signing an agreement to halt the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program, Vance also said signing the memorandum of understanding with Iran would not trigger the release of frozen assets.Vance said Iran would receive money only if it took verified steps to eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.“If we see the Iranians making, for example, taking action to eliminate their stockpile of enriched material, then yes, sanctions relief will follow. If we see the Iranians taking action to allow the kind of verification regime that we need to see to know that they’re not going to build a nuclear weapon, yes, sanctions relief will follow,” he said.“If they don’t do the right things, if they don’t allow the verification regime, they’re never going to have the money to rebuild their nuclear program to begin with.”Vance also said Washington expects the economically vital waterway would be open without tolls.“Our expectation is that the Strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long-term,” he said.“That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations. You know that there are a lot of very important details to figure out that we’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward.”The US and Iran said they had agreed terms to end their war and reopen the strait, news that brought relief to markets, although the pact may hinge on an end to hostilities in Lebanon and talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough toward resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.Vance told CNBC that Iran’s foreign minister and House speaker will represent Iran at the signing in Switzerland on Friday.
Vance says Trump may decide to release text of US-Iran deal before Friday
