US, Iran sign ceasefire deal but Trump keeps threat on table

The US and Iran released the text of an interim agreement their presidents have signed to end their war on Wednesday, with US President Donald Trump threatening to resume attacks and kill Iranian officials if they failed to honour their ​commitments.

Both Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have digitally signed the memorandum in English and Farsi, US and Iran ​officials said, with Iran's foreign ministry saying the agreement was already in effect as of Wednesday, reports Reuters.

The agreement took effect two days earlier than expected and calls for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports.

Following the deal, on Thursday, three Saudi-flagged supertankers carrying 6 million barrels of crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a key sign of easing tensions.

But in Lebanon, where more than a million people are displaced by the ‌fighting, Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes on Thursday morning, raising doubt about how far Trump will go to force his wartime allies to halt an offensive he has now pledged to end.

Trump, speaking at the G7 summit in France, said the US would respond forcefully if Iran violated the agreement. "We're going to bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement," Trump said. "I don't want them to. I want them to honour the agreement."

"If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head," he added.

Trump said he hoped a permanent truce could be reached within 60 days, leading to greater stability in the Middle East and lower oil prices.

The US president also withdrew at least one of his stated rationales for attacking Iran in the first place, saying it would be "unfair" for Tehran not to have ballistic missiles, having previously ‌vowed to obliterate them.

Iran's leaders did not address the new threats while celebrating the ​moment, releasing photographs of what is believed to be the first agreement signed by both a US and Iranian president since the Islamic Republic's founding in 1979.

President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran's deal with the US shows it "did not trade its dignity and independence for any threat or pressure."

"What was recorded today was the result of national resilience, political rationality, and responsible diplomacy," he said in a post on X alongside an image of the signed Persian-language document.

Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the agreement achieved through negotiations what Tehran had sought through military action.

"Everything we sought to achieve through military action, we obtained several times over through negotiation; it was not even comparable," he told state television.

The conflict began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military leaders on the first day, according to Iranian officials. The fighting later spread across the region, killing more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, while increasing pressure on global energy markets.

The 14-point agreement extends a ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days, allowing negotiations on a final truce. It also includes provisions for the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets.

G7 leaders welcomed the agreement during their summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains. 

In a joint statement, leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Italy, Canada and the US called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has killed thousands and displaced more than a million people, reports Reuters.

The situation in Lebanon remained one of the most fragile parts of the agreement. 

Trump criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military approach, urging him to take a softer approach.

"Netanyahu happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes," Trump said. "We have ⁠a little dispute ​over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi," he said, using Netanyahu's nickname. "You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah."

Iran has always said any peace deal must also cover Lebanon. But Israel said it has no intention of withdrawing from Lebanon, whatever Trump negotiates. It released a new map on Thursday showing an expanded southern area occupied by its troops, which it ​describes as a buffer zone.

Two Israeli officials, including a senior official close to Netanyahu, told Reuters Israel was holding negotiations with the United States to keep Israeli troops in Lebanon.

The senior official described those talks with Washington as "stubborn" and said Israel ​would not back down. The other official said the outcome would depend on whether Trump "decides to force the issue" by threatening repercussions on Israel.