"When text reaches signature of highest officials, cost of violating it will also be higher": Iran FM Spox
Tehran, June 18
Iranian ships have entered ports without issue, and cargos have also been unloaded from ports without hindrance, spokesperson of the country's foreign ministry Esmaeil Baqaei, said on Thursday as per the ISNA news agency.
Baqaei said that when the presidents of both US and Iran- Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian- had signed an agreement, the cost of breaking it will be higher.
The two leaders virtually signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
Following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron France Trump told reporters, "I signed it in Versailles."
"We concluded that the better option is for the presidents of the two countries to sign the text virtually, without the need to be present in a specific location. There are multiple reasons for this decision, one of the most important of which is that when the text reaches the signature of the highest officials of the two countries, the cost of violating it will also be higher. I think there's no room for holding another ceremony," the Iranian spokesperson said
The MoU is aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and launching a 60-day process to negotiate a final agreement on sanctions and Iran's nuclear programme.
Baqaei said further that during the 60-day period, both parties will discuss the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions.
However, he said that the transfer of enriched materials outside of Iran was unacceptable to them. He also claimed that Iran's superpower status was not a slogan, because they 'defeated' two nuclear powers.
He was quoted as saying by the ISNA News Agency, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is the skin of Iran; and the enemies wanted to peel off the skin of Iran. Every patriotic person understood that this separation (between Iran and the Islamic Republic) is an illusory separation."
Baqaei said that the peace MoU was signed in both English and Persian, to leave no room for ambiguity.
"The memorandum of understanding is signed in two languages. We insisted that the text must be available in both Persian and English. If the text were only in English, we might have encountered subjective translations. The Persian text is fully aligned with the English text and is fully valid from our perspective," he said.
He also said that the talks between Iran and the US are not confirmed in Switzerland.
"Friday's Iran-US talks in Switzerland are not confirmed. The Friday session was confirmed until a few hours ago, but when it was decided that the presidents of the two sides would sign the agreement, it was decided to give more thought to the Friday session. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Presidents of Iran and the United States," he said, as quoted by ISNA News Agency.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting approach using a virtual signing ceremony. But I'm skeptical—how binding is a "virtual" signature really? And Iran insisting on Persian text is smart but also shows deep distrust. The 60-day timeline feels like the real test here.
Arre yaar, why is Iran so confident about "defeating two nuclear powers"? That's just rhetoric. For India, any stability in Gulf means safe oil supplies and less tension for our diaspora in UAE and Saudi. Let's hope this MoU sticks! 🇮🇳
Iran's insistence on bilingual text is a huge red flag for me. It shows they're already preparing for dispute over translations. And that comment about "enemies wanting to peel the skin of Iran" sounds like they're still in propaganda mode. Can't trust this.
Smart move by Iran—getting Trump's signature directly makes it harder for him to walk away like he did with the JCPOA. But "superpower status" claims aside, the real winner here could be India if this stabilizes energy markets. Let's see if the 60-day talks actually deliver. 🤞
As an Indian, I'm watching this closely. Strait of Hormuz is our lifeline for crude imports. But Iran's claim of "defeating two nuclear powers" is pure nationalism—they're just trying to save face after being isolated for so long. Hope the US doesn't back out again.
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