Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
Donald Trump has signed a hard copy of the initial agreement with Iran to extend the ceasefire between the US and Iran for another 60 days, laying the groundwork for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launching negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left the Palace of Versailles after attending a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the agreement had been digitally signed by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pakistan’s prime minister, a key intermediary between the US and Iran, said the agreement had entered into force with ‘immediate effect’ after both sides signed it.
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Keep reading for the latest news on the Iran war on June 18 here:
Skip next section Iran says negotiations differ from 2015 nuclear deal06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Iran says negotiations differ from 2015 nuclear deal
Tehran is entering the current round of talks from a strong position, unlike during the 2015 Vienna nuclear negotiations, according to chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
He told state broadcaster IRIB that Tehran’s approach to the US was now based on a “diplomacy of strength,” citing what he described as recent military successes acknowledged by both allies and opponents.
Ghalibaf said the current talks had no room fo “empty rhetoric,” concessions or compromise, and that the process was “a form of resistance.”
The 2015 talks in Vienna between Iran, the permanent UN Security Council members, Germany and the EU led to an agreement that aimed to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
At the time, the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was slammed by Iranian hard-liners as a compromise, while the then-supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, praised his country’s “heroic flexibility.”
The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term, meaning that damaging sanctions lifted under the deal were reinstated.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaWOSkip next section Macron posts video of Trump signing US-Iran MOU06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Macron posts video of Trump signing US-Iran MOU
French President Emmanuel Macron also posted a video (see below) of President Trump signing the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
“This agreement paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said.
Macron added, “It is an important step in the right direction for our compatriots that will soon enable a decrease in energy prices.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaT5Skip next section US-Iran deal kicks off 60-day period for technical talks aimed at ending war06/18/2026June 18, 2026
US-Iran deal kicks off 60-day period for technical talks aimed at ending war
The interim deal between the US and Iran is set to trigger a period of 60 days over which the most divisive issue between the two countries would be addressed —Tehran’s nuclear program.
Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb was a key reason that President Donald Trump said he launched the war with Israel in February, but the tentative agreement leaves little runway to negotiate the long-running sticking point.
The previous nuclear pact between Iran and world powers, from which Trump pulled the US in his first term, took many months to negotiate.
Under terms of the initial deal, Iran would immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global oil shipments and would be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions, a US official said.
Iran is also set to receive at least $300 billion for reconstruction and the US would work to end all American and UN sanctions imposed on Tehran. That is, if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached after the 60-day period for talks.
The initial agreement said the sides agreed to resolve “the disposition” of Iran’s highly enriched uranium during that period.
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Critics on the right and left question Iran deal
Still, there is deep skepticism among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers that the deal is realistic, workable or would have any effect on subsequent nuclear talks.
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former US ambassador to the UN, wrote that Iranians will use any funds received “to further their nuclear ambitions and on terrorist proxies against us.”
“It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed,” she added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaPfSkip next section What’s in the US-Iran interim deal?06/18/2026June 18, 2026
What’s in the US-Iran interim deal?
Now that the US and Iran have signed an interim pact to end fighting for a period of 60 days, the real task of implementation begins.
The pact extends the April ceasefire between the US and Iran, though both sides continued with some strikes in the months that followed.
Read the 14-point pact released by US officials.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaPwSkip next section WATCH: Trump signs US-Iran interim agreement06/18/2026June 18, 2026
WATCH: Trump signs US-Iran interim agreement
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted a video that showed Trump signing the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
Trump signed the document shortly before the dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also digitally signed the agreement, the IRNA news agency reported, citing Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
A formal signing agreement is scheduled for Friday, with Pakistan having confirmed the ceremony but Iranian officials having said there wasn’t a need for the expected ceremony anymore.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaPvSkip next section Iran confirms signing interim agreement on ending war06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Iran confirms signing interim agreement on ending war
Iran on Thursday confirmed it signed an interim agreement to extend the ceasefire by another 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“The text of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was finalized with the signatures of the presidents — now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement,” state news agency IRNA quoted Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei as saying.
The spokesman added that the expected signing of the agreement would no longer then happen in Switzerland.
Pakistan, which has been playing the role of mediator, said a ceremonial signing ceremony would take place on Friday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaO0Skip next section Interim US-Iran deal comes into immediate effect, mediator Pakistan says06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Interim US-Iran deal comes into immediate effect, mediator Pakistan says
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X that both the US and Iran had signed the agreement and endorsed him as a mediator.
He said the deal “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade.”
He said there will still be a formal signing ceremony on Friday.
Sharif’s post came after Trump said he signed the agreement at the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaNySkip next section ‘It’s signed,’ Trump says he leaves Palace of VersaillesPublished 06/18/2026Published June 18, 2026last updated 06/18/2026last updated June 18, 2026
‘It’s signed,’ Trump says he leaves Palace of Versailles
“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left the Palace of Versailles after attending a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
“I signed it in Versailles,” Trump said. “Just signed it.”
Trump spent the evening there after having attended the G7 summit that ended on Wednesday afternoon.
The palace is about 15 miles southwest of Paris.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaJtSkip next section Trump has signed agreement on ending war in Iran06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Trump has signed agreement on ending war in Iran
The White House said Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the war in Iran while at Versailles, though cameras weren’t present for that.
Many historic treaties have been signed at Versailles over the centuries, ending wars or territorial disputes.
The most infamous was that sealed in 1919 officially ending World War I — whose harsh terms imposed on Germany are blamed by some historians for laying the groundwork for World War II.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaJaSkip next section Trump signs initial agreement with Iran: What we know06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Trump signs initial agreement with Iran: What we know
President Donald Trump has signed an initial agreement that would extend the ceasefire by 60 days and see the Strait of Hormuz reopened gradually.
Officials had previously said Trump and Vice President JD Vance had digitally signed the agreement on Sunday and that a ceremonial signing would be held on Friday in Switzerland.
But the Associated Press, citing a US official, said that Trump signed the deal while at Versailles on Wednesday following a trip to the Group of Seven summit in France.
The US official said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signed it Wednesday, though Iran did not immediately comment.
It wasn’t immediately clear if that act started a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FaJZSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
We’re launching the blog with breaking news with US President Donald Trump having signed an initial plan with Iran to end the Iran war.
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