US and Iran reach critical phase in deal

With Iran and the United States reaching an agreement to end the war "permanently" on various fronts, the two have now taken a critical step toward a peaceful settlement and restoring safety in a vital maritime corridor, experts said.

They also hope that all relevant parties will stay committed to the choice of peace and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised all parties for playing a role in establishing the framework for further negotiations. "This represents a critical step toward the peaceful settlement of the conflict," said the UN chief.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington had been finalized and will be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland, Mehr News Agency reported.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared in a post on X early on Monday that a deal had been reached and both sides "have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon", with the official signing ceremony to be held later this week.

The deal would pave the way for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, while other matters, including the nuclear issue, would be dealt with during subsequent negotiations.

Iran's Gharibabadi said in a televised interview on Monday that the draft MoU incorporated "all our important positions", but added that the memorandum "does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust".

"We will monitor the implementation of US commitments," he said.

In a social media post, US President Donald Trump said the "Great Deal" will bring "peace and security to the whole region".

China welcomes the agreement reached by the US and Iran on the content of the first-phase memorandum of agreement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing on Monday.

Speaking at a regular news conference, Lin said that China appreciates Pakistan's mediation efforts in this regard.

China hopes the US and Iran will sign the first-phase MoU as scheduled, and hopes that all relevant parties will stay committed to the choice of peace and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation, he said.

"This is certainly a hopeful start and an indication that things are moving in the right direction. What we have is an agreement on a framework for further negotiations on some of the thorniest issues, particularly the nuclear program that Iran has had," Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told China Daily.

"I think the final outcome is yet to be determined, but certainly this is a very hopeful start," said Kamrava. Both Iran and the US faced pressure from hard-liners in their nations, "not to go to the negotiating table, but both have done so", he said.

Kamrava said Israel is not keen on this agreement between Iran and the US, and "might do what they can to sabotage the deal".

"The Iranians … they appear to have a renewed sense of confidence. They have emerged as they think victorious, at least, militarily," said Kamrava.

Despite the progress, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that the Israeli military will remain in southern Lebanon and warned that if Iran strikes, it will be hit "with full force".

G7 summit

In Europe, the G7 leaders are expected to meet to seek common ground at a three-day summit in France after Washington and Iran agreed on the MoU.

Sealing an agreement before jetting off to the summit could certainly change the dynamic of the gathering for Trump. He has had friction with some European leaders for not consulting them before his decision to go to war. Meanwhile, Trump has pushed back on the four European leaders — all members of the NATO military alliance — for their lack of support for the US in the conflict.

Trump is expected to discuss with leaders the demining of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron, this year's summit host, invited the leaders of three nations that aren't part of the G7 — Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — to take part in a session on the Middle East on Tuesday, where Iran is expected to be the central focus.

"The aim will be to assess the implications of this agreement, support for Lebanon, the long-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and, of course, reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear and ballistic (missile) programs," Macron said in a video posted on social media on Sunday evening.

Agencies, Shi Guang in New York, and Zhao Jia in Beijing contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com.