Iran’s president says the war halt is only an ‘important step,’ not a final deal

TEHRAN, IRAN: Amid confusion over the details of the deal to end the war with Iran and to open nuclear discussions with Tehran, the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is tempering expectations about the emerging peace process, stressing that the current memorandum of understanding is only a preliminary step, not a final agreement.

President Donald Trump announced the Iran deal through Truth Social, confirming the immediate lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ships and toll-free Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian President says deal is not final

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday cautioned that a final agreement to end the conflict has not yet been reached, describing the current memorandum of understanding as only an “important step” toward peace.

Speaking to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Pezeshkian said negotiations remain ongoing and signaled that Tehran is still prepared for other outcomes if talks fail.

“We have reached an important step to stop the war and start negotiations, but we have not yet reached a final agreement, and we are ready for any scenario,” he said.

Trump says next deal round could be ‘quick’

President Donald Trump said Tuesday, June 16, during the G7 summit that he expects the next phase of negotiations with Iran to move quickly, though he acknowledged the process could take longer.

The memorandum of understanding, which is expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday, June 19, reportedly gives both sides 60 days to negotiate a final agreement, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

The full text of the agreement, however, has not yet been made public.

The Trump administration has affirmed that Iran has made guarantees that it will not have a nuclear weapon.

Senior administration officials told reporters on Monday that no money would be released to Iran without commitments made by Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned the US and Israel that any additional Israeli strikes in Lebanon would violate the current understanding, exposing a potential flashpoint in the fragile peace process.

 Israel, for its part, has said it intends to maintain its presence in southern Lebanon and reserves the right to act in self-defense.