World welcomes Iran–US deal, but questions linger

MNTV News Desk

The signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran has drawn a broadly welcoming response from world leaders, with many expressing relief that months of conflict and economic disruption may finally be drawing to a close — even as analysts caution that the agreement defers rather than resolves the most difficult questions.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the agreement as a “critical step,” with his office expressing hope that the parties would build on the momentum toward a final resolution.

Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei struck a guarded tone following the signing, making clear that Tehran’s compliance would be conditional on Washington’s own fulfilment of its commitments.

He said Iran would monitor U.S. implementation without leniency and would not consider itself bound by the agreement if the other side evaded its obligations.

Baghaei confirmed that Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief would be on the agenda during the 60-day negotiation period, but that Tehran’s missile programme would not be subject to any discussion.

He also ruled out transferring Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad, held the U.S. responsible for compelling Israel to respect its commitments under the deal, and said Iran and Oman would jointly manage a new regime for the Strait of Hormuz under which fees would be charged for services provided there.

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country served as the primary mediator throughout the negotiations, said he was honoured to announce that the historic memorandum had entered into force.

“The Memorandum has been signed by the honourable Presidents of both countries and also endorsed by me as the mediator,” he wrote on X. “The signing of this agreement at the highest level of the respective governments demonstrates the commitment of both sides to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.”

He expressed hope that the memorandum would serve as “an enduring foundation for greater understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the complete region.”

For Pakistan, the MOU represented a significant diplomatic win, with Islamabad emerging from the process with enhanced international standing, increased influence in the Middle East, and a strengthened global image.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Trump at a dinner at the Palace of Versailles where the document was physically signed, published footage of the moment and wrote that the agreement paved the way for lasting peace and would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron separately noted that resumption of maritime traffic without restrictions was an essential condition for regional stability and the health of the global economy.

European leaders

Leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy also welcomed the deal, calling for swift implementation, the urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and reaffirming their support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.

Turkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the news on social media, expressing hope that it would pave the way for a lasting environment of peace and security in the region.

Qatar

Qatar, which played a supporting mediation role alongside Pakistan, called the agreement an important move toward sustainable peace and economic recovery, and a means of drawing regional perspectives closer together.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani praised the breakthrough and urged constructive negotiations in the weeks ahead.

IAEA

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi welcomed the interim agreement and said the nuclear watchdog would now work to develop a concrete plan for handling Iran’s nuclear programme.

“It is good that the memorandum is there. Now the technical work starts,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters. He called for the agency to sit down with US and Iranian officials to begin formulating practical steps.

China

China’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the signing and expressed hope that both sides would approach the upcoming negotiations rationally and pragmatically. Spokesman Lin Jian, speaking at a press briefing, said Beijing also hoped both parties would honour their commitments under the deal.

Russia

Russia welcomed the ceasefire agreement and called for a broader comprehensive settlement.

Moscow had earlier offered to take Iran’s enriched uranium as part of any political resolution.

Hezbollah

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem hailed the agreement as a “big victory” and said Lebanon’s negotiations with Israel should focus solely on mutual security, with any discussion of disarmament firmly off the table. “We congratulate the Iranian people, leadership and those who support freedom on this big victory,” he said in a televised address, thanking Iran for linking the Lebanon front to the broader agreement and forcing Israel to halt its aggression. He warned that any proposal framed around Hezbollah’s disarmament would not be accepted.

Gulf states and Israel

Gulf state reactions were mostly muted.

Analysts noted that few governments in the region believed the war should have been launched in the first place, and that many were privately concerned the conflict had ultimately strengthened rather than weakened Iran’s position.

Israel offered no immediate public comment, though analysts noted deep concern in Jerusalem: the memorandum offered only rhetorical commitments on Iran’s nuclear programme, made no mention of its ballistic missile arsenal or its network of regional allies, and left unresolved the question of Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Analysts: the hardest part lies ahead

The Council on Foreign Relations observed that the two sides were telling fundamentally different stories about what had been agreed — Americans speaking of peace, Iranians of victory — and that with so many essential issues deferred to later rounds of talks, the memorandum was best understood as an extended ceasefire rather than a settlement.

Iran had partly succeeded in shaping the agenda: the nuclear question was absent from the agreement itself, while Israel’s conduct in Lebanon was explicitly referenced. Tehran had also made clear it would not surrender its enriched uranium stockpile and did not regard the IAEA as a neutral arbiter.

Oil markets offered one immediate, concrete signal of the deal’s significance. U.S. crude fell more than 4.5% to around $80 per barrel shortly after the announcement, though prices remained more than 20% above pre-war levels and more than 40% higher than at the start of the year.