US President Donald Trump arrives to attend a musical interlude before a gala dinner as part of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on Jun 16, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Ludovic Marin)
17 Jun 2026 07:02AM
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France: Details began to emerge on Tuesday (Jun 16) of the United States and Iran's interim agreement to end the war in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump saying it will rule out a nuclear weapon for Tehran and a US official saying it allows Iran to sell oil upon signing.The memorandum of understanding signed this week, though yet to be made public, extends a tenuous ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days to allow the warring countries to negotiate a permanent truce.Under the deal, the US will end its blockade of Iran's ports while Tehran will restore the passage of oil tankers and other maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which it has effectively blocked since the US and Israel launched strikes on Feb 28.The US president said the agreement states clearly that Tehran will not have a nuclear weapon and the full text would be made public in a formal setting in a few days.
Iran has long said that it will not develop a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.Trump has given shifting rationales for attacking Iran, but appears to have achieved little of what he has said he wanted: Iran's theocratic government remains in place, its ballistic missile programme has not been dismantled, and it has not ended its support for anti-Israel militias like Hezbollah.The accord exposes Trump, a Republican, to criticism from within his own party ahead of midterm elections in November.Meanwhile, Iran's leaders could face renewed protests if they fail to ease economic pressures after a destructive war.Israel has not directly participated in the negotiations and has distanced itself from both the April ceasefire and the latest US-Iran agreement, adding uncertainty to whether the new ceasefire will hold.The war has affected most countries in the region, killing more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March after Iran-allied Hezbollah joined the fighting.
