US Media: US-Iran Will Not Hold Memorandum Signing Ceremony, Nuclear Talks to Begin on 19th

US-Iran War Key News

(Central News Agency, Evian-Bains, France, 17th – comprehensive international reports) US President Trump signed a 14-point memorandum with Iran on the evening of the 17th, while Iranian President Pezeshkian also completed digital signing. Multiple US media outlets reported that the US and Iran will not hold a separate signing ceremony in Switzerland on the 19th, and will instead proceed directly to nuclear negotiations.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Trump’s signing on the 17th surprised some staff and disrupted the original plan for a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland on the 19th. Trump signed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles, following the G7 summit.

Trump said: "I signed it at Versailles. Just finished signing."

The Wall Street Journal, citing a US official, reported that no formal signing ceremony will be held between the US and Iran, but nuclear negotiations will still take place from the 19th to the 21st in Lucerne, Switzerland.

US Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the US delegation in the three-day negotiations with Iranian counterparts. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar will also attend.

The Washington Post reported that Trump signed the memorandum remotely during dinner at the Palace of Versailles. According to US and Iranian officials, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also completed his signing simultaneously.

US media reports on the details of the signing process vary. The Wall Street Journal stated that Trump had already electronically signed the 14-point document on the 14th. The New York Times reported that Trump, Vance, and Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had all signed the memorandum on the 14th.

The Washington Post initially reported that Trump and Vance had signed the electronic text on the 14th, but on the 17th cited a US official saying Trump had at most only "witnessed" Vance’s signing on the 14th, rather than signing himself.

However, the New York Times, citing Iranian state media, reported that Iran’s president had signed the US-Iran memorandum digitally, and that no formal signing ceremony would be held in Switzerland on the 19th. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that both negotiation teams would still travel to Switzerland to begin follow-up talks as outlined in the memorandum. (Compiled by: Chen Yiwei) 1150618

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