President Donald Trump has signed an interim agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and grants immediate relief from U.S.-backed sanctions, allowing the Islamic Republic to sell oil freely, according to details released by both nations.
The deal, which takes “immediate effect” upon the leaders’ signatures, was mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who announced the accord online. It establishes a permanent cessation of hostilities and initiates a 60-day negotiating period to reach a final settlement on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump, however, left open the possibility of resuming military action, saying he would abandon the agreement if it does not meet his expectations.
The accord emerged after days of secrecy and contradictory statements. U.S. officials had declined to disclose its terms even after confirming that Trump and Vice President JD Vance digitally signed it over the weekend. Trump signed a physical copy Wednesday during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles, a historic venue for treaty signings. The White House had planned a formal ceremony Friday in Switzerland, but its status is now unclear amid conflicting information from the U.S., Iran and Pakistan.
“It’s signed,” Trump told reporters as he left Versailles, following his attendance at the Group of Seven summit in France. A video posted by a White House aide showed Trump seated beside Macron, signing a paper copy and then handing the document to Secretary of State Marco Rubio as attendees applauded. Macron shared a separate video on social media in which Trump said, “This was not easy,” just before signing.
In Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian signed on Iran’s behalf, according to the state-run IRNA news agency, which published an image of him holding the document bearing both signatures.
The full text has not been formally released. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, dictated draft language to journalists, and Iranian state media published a similar version.
The agreement largely reverts to pre-war conditions: ending hostilities, restarting U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for global oil and natural gas whose closure triggered a historic energy crisis. The strait will be toll-free for two months, though fees could be imposed later, according to the drafts.
In return, the United States will move to waive, but not eliminate, some broad sanctions against Iran.
The deal also affirms support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity amid Israel’s invasion targeting the Hezbollah militant group. Iran has demanded that Israel withdraw, a condition Israel has already rejected. Israel has stated it will continue to defend itself and maintain its occupation of large areas of Lebanon.
The U.S. and Israel launched military action on Feb. 28, in part to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump has cited multiple war aims, including ending Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for proxies, and has even suggested the conflict could lead to regime change. The interim pact falls short of those goals, but Trump hailed it as “very strong.”
He also signaled flexibility, saying: “It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs.”
The U.S. concession to immediately allow Iranian oil sales and the eventual promise to lift all sanctions go beyond the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from during his first term, calling it the “worst deal ever.”
Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, though the International Atomic Energy Agency has noted it is the only country enriching uranium to 60% purity without a weapons program. The interim accord calls for IAEA monitoring of the “downblending” of that uranium but provides no further detail.
The agreement is likely to face strong opposition in Washington and appears to be a major setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has drawn domestic criticism from media, political opponents and even some allies as details emerge. Under the 2015 accord, which Trump abandoned, Iran had accepted restrictions on its nuclear program and pledged never to build an atomic bomb in exchange for sanctions relief.
