US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Iran agreement was moving into a second phase and emphasised that the United States would not be providing Iran with any financial support.
“We’ve finalized our deal with Iran, and it should work out. It’s now entering a second stage, which I actually think will be easier,” Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in France.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that fresh negotiations with Washington aimed at reaching a final accord on Tehran’s nuclear program are expected to begin Friday.
“Most likely on Friday, at a yet-to-be-determined location, a new round of talks between Iran and the United States will start to work toward a final agreement,” Araghchi said during a briefing with foreign diplomats broadcast on state television.
US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Monday that Trump may choose to release Washington’s agreement with Tehran before Friday.
The deal, which was signed electronically by leaders in both countries, is expected to be formally endorsed in person on Friday. On Monday, Trump said the agreement had been signed and that the text would be made public shortly after the official signing, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would be fully reopened.
“The deal is signed. And as you know, the strait is already partially open,” Trump said after arriving in Evian, France.
“On Friday, it will be completely open.”
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, will attend the signing of an interim agreement to end the war with the United States, an Iranian deputy foreign minister said Tuesday, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the exact location and format of the signing were still undecided.
Vance said Monday that the agreement had been digitally signed on Sunday and that no funds had been released.
Asked when the memorandum of understanding would be published, Trump said, “Probably pretty soon. I’d say sometime after Friday … I think in the very near future.”
Trump added that any sanctions relief for Iran would be tied to its conduct. “If they do what they’re supposed to do, that starts taking effect.”
Vance reiterated that Iran would not receive any funds simply for signing an agreement to halt the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and he said the framework would be made public this week.
Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Vance said the memorandum of understanding would not trigger the release of frozen assets.
He stressed again that the agreement had been digitally signed on Sunday and that no money had been released.
“No money has been released, and that’s not going to change,” he said.
Vance said Iran would receive funds only after taking verified steps to dismantle its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
“If we see Iran taking action to eliminate its enriched material, then yes, sanctions relief will follow. If they take steps to allow the verification regime we need to ensure they’re not pursuing a nuclear weapon, then yes, sanctions relief will follow,” he said.
“If they don’t do the right things, if they don’t allow verification, they’re never going to get the money to rebuild their nuclear program in the first place.”
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Vance also said the United States expects the crucial waterway to operate without tolls.
“Our expectation is that the Strait will be open long-term without tolls,” he said.
“That’s something we’ll work out in the technical negotiations. There are a lot of important details we’ll need to sit down, discuss, and map out together.”
The United States and Iran said they had reached terms to end the conflict and reopen the strait, a development that eased market tensions, though the agreement may depend on ending fighting in Lebanon and postpones discussions on Iran’s nuclear program.
Though still only a framework, the deal represents the most significant step toward resolving a conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy markets since it began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
