DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Iranian Foreign Ministry suggested late Wednesday that the deal with the United States could be signed by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian.
Such an signing ceremony would represent a major step for the two countries, which saw diplomatic relations break off in 1980 over the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, quoted by Iranian state television, made the comment.
Pezeshkian became president on a promise of seeking better relations with the West.
However, he’s been sidelined for months after Iran’s mass killing of protesters in January and in the war as hard-liners have taken over the levers of the country’s theocracy.
Senior US officials dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists Wednesday after days of secrecy.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of formal signing ceremony set for Friday.
According to the officials, the draft agreement includes a new “minimum” standard for downblending of highly enriched Iranian uranium and has provisions to ensure the “territorial integrity” of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.
