Trump expects Iran to agree to final deal within 60 days
Washington, June 20
US President Donald Trump said that he expects Iran to agree to a final deal within 60 days of the signing of the memorandum of understanding.
If no deal is reached within 60 days beginning Thursday, "we will do things that won't make them happy," Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday. "But I don't think it's going to get to that."
The text of the MoU states that the two sides commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days, extendable with mutual consent, Xinhua news agency reported.
US-Iran talks scheduled in Switzerland was postponed, with neither side offering an official explanation. Multiple media reports said that Iran withdrew from the talks in response to the latest Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Earlier on Friday, Trump told NBC News that he had spoken with Israeli leaders and urged them to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
"It's a positive," Trump said in the phone interview. "It's a little icing on the cake."
Meanwhile, the US State Department said that a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Washington, DC next week.
Earlier, in a statement, Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present."
The talks between he US and Iran were planned to move from a political framework agreement to detailed negotiations on implementation, verification and compliance.
On Thursday night, the White House announced that US Vice President JD Vance's planned departure for technical negotiations with Iran has been postponed. However, it said preparations for the talks continue and both sides remain focused on launching the next phase of discussions aimed at implementing the recently signed memorandum of understanding.
"As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalised, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity," a White House spokesperson said late Thursday night.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting move by Trump to also push for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. It's like he's trying to create a domino effect - maybe Iran will feel isolated if their proxies start agreeing to truces. But considering the history, I wouldn't bet on a deal anytime soon. The 'things that won't make them happy' comment is just classic Trump bluster. 😅
As an Indian, I'm concerned about the instability this creates. Iran is a major partner for us - Chabahar port, oil imports, connectivity to Central Asia. If US pressures Iran too hard, it could force them closer to China or Russia. Diplomacy needs patience, not arbitrary deadlines. 😕
The fact that Pakistan is mentioned as a facilitator alongside Qatar is interesting. Pakistan has good relations with both US and Iran. But given the current tensions in the region - Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Gaza conflict - this seems like a very optimistic timeline. Trump should focus on de-escalating the Middle East first. 🌍
I appreciate the US trying to broker peace, but 60 days for a final deal with Iran? Come on. The JCPOA took years to negotiate, and even that fell apart. This feels like political theatre ahead of US elections. Meanwhile, the real issue - Israeli strikes and civilian suffering in Lebanon - gets overshadowed. 😤
Let's be honest: Iran has no reason to trust any US agreement after Trump unilaterally left the JCPOA in 2018. The MoU sounds nice on paper,
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.