US, Iran peace deal signing on June 19 likely in Geneva but will Trump attend the ceremony? | World

The much-awaited peace deal between the United States (US) and Iran was finalised on early Monday, which could pave the way for peace in the Middle East and stabilise the global economy, as the Strait of Hormuz is opened later this week. 

The agreement, which was finalised following intense talks and negotiations, could likely be signed in Switzerland’s Geneva on June 19 and there is a possibility of President Donald Trump attending it, said his deputy JD Vance. 

“I think we are still figuring out on the logistics on who is going to attend the signing ceremony. I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the President himself could be there. We will figure it out, but what we know is that we have got a lot of work to do, but it is a very big win for the American people,” Vance told Fox News.

“What we’re going to be able to do is drive down the cost of energy, not just now but for the long term, and create a real engine of prosperity in the Middle East,” the US Vice President further added.

Iran has also confirmed that the deal will be signed on June 19, but the Middle East nation last week had said there was a possibility that the signing ceremony could be held remotely. Also, there is no clarity on who will attend it on Iran’s behalf, but most likely it could be Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf or Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who have been at the forefront of negotiations for Tehran.

Though one must note that Iran has said it would wait for a period of 60 days before the comprehensive agreement is finalised to see if Washington fulfills its commitments regarding lifting blockade of Strait of Hormuz, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending all hostilities. 

Further, there is nothing much on Iran’s nuclear programme, which has been a top priority of the Trump administration to stop. Trump also wants Iran to handover its enriched uranium and stop building a nuclear weapon, but Tehran maintains that its programme is for civilian use. Therefore, it remains unclear how the nuclear issue — the most contentious aspect of the peace treaty — will ultimately be resolved.

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