Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei announced the formal signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, according to an official statement carried in the intake. Axios separately reports that the two countries signed the MOU electronically today and it is now in effect. The confirmation, which follows a night of conflicting reports and shifting timelines, means the deal is now binding and the Strait of Hormuz clause is triggered, according to previous Zioneer reporting.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei officially confirmed overnight that the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States has been formally signed, according to a statement carried in the intake. The statement, which follows a series of conflicting reports throughout Wednesday evening, says the text has now been signed and is in effect. Axios separately reported earlier Wednesday at 17:14 Jerusalem that the two countries signed the MOU electronically and that it had entered into force — a report that at the time remained unconfirmed. Baghaei himself had told Tasnim earlier in the evening, as The Zioneer reported at 00:27 Jerusalem on Thursday, that the text had reached both presidents for digital signature tonight. The formal confirmation now makes the agreement binding and, as The Zioneer reported when the signing format changed to remote on Wednesday at 17:14 Jerusalem, triggers the Strait of Hormuz clause immediately upon signing.
The thread began with speculation about whether the signing would be held face-to-face in Switzerland or remotely, reported by The Zioneer at 17:14 Jerusalem on Wednesday. By that same hour, sources indicated the signing had shifted to a remote format with immediate Strait of Hormuz clause activation. A subsequent Axios report at 17:14 Jerusalem Wednesday, citing unconfirmed reports, said the MOU had already been signed electronically. The unverified report was followed by Baghaei's statement to Tasnin, reported by The Zioneer at 00:27 Jerusalem Thursday, that the text was with the presidents for digital signature, and then Baghaei's formal confirmation overnight. What began as a single-source, unverified claim of an in-principle agreement requiring Mojtaba Khamenei's approval — as The Zioneer reported on June 11 at 21:15 Jerusalem — has evolved through multiple newsroom confirmations to an on-record statement from the Iranian spokesman.
The memorandum, as The Zioneer reported on June 17, draws on a 14-article draft published by Iranian media that included provisions on nuclear enrichment levels, sanctions relief, and regional security commitments. The desk previously reported Sunday that talks had accelerated sharply, and that a US official told the Insider Paper on Monday that Trump, Vance, and Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf had signed the deal electronically — a claim that was at the time unverified. The broader diplomatic context includes weeks of shifting timelines and denials, including Iranian denials of progress and disputed images of a signing ceremony, as The Zioneer reported on June 11.
It remains open whether either government will issue a joint public statement, and the full text of the MOU has not been formally released. No signing ceremony has been held; the electronic format was flagged as the intended mechanism from early reports on Wednesday June 17. The implementation and monitoring framework, particularly regarding nuclear talks and regional security, also remain to be detailed.
4 developments
- DevelopingUS official confirms Trump signed Iran deal, now in effect
- DevelopingIranian analysis: Emerging US-Iran MOU places most practical commitments on Washington
- DevelopingUAE official response to US-Iran deal urges full commitment to terms
- StrongTrump and Pezeshkian sign US-Iran MOU electronically — first known direct bilateral deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake