PARIS: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday described the peace agreement between the United States and Iran as a “wall against a nuclear weapon”, contrasting it with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former US president Barack Obama.
Trump was speaking to reporters alongside United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
“It’s a very important document, and, unlike Obama, who could’ve destroyed the Middle East with the horrible JCPOA… that was a road to a nuclear weapon. Mine is a wall against a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
.@POTUS on his agreement with Iran: “It’s a very important document, and, unlike Obama, who could’ve destroyed the Middle East with the horrible JCPOA… that was a road to a nuclear weapon. Mine is a wall against a nuclear weapon.” pic.twitter.com/nxSiKGZOsc
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 16, 2026
Trump also outlined US intentions regarding Iran’s enriched uranium, saying Washington had a plan to retrieve and destroy it “at an appropriate time”.
“It’s a very tough excavation, nobody else can do it but us, and probably China,” he said. “We’re in no rush, but we’ll get it, and when we get it, we’ll destroy it.”
He clarified that the destruction of uranium stocks was not subject to negotiation. “We’re not looking to take it, we’re looking to destroy it. We have plenty of it,” he said.
Asked whether he would present the agreement to the US Congress, Trump said he had not considered it but would not oppose the idea. “I never thought of it, but I would. I wouldn’t mind,” he said.
Trump also said he would release the text of the memorandum of understanding in a formal setting within days.
“I have no problem with that… it is what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump said maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was already resuming.
“The ships are starting to move now, we’re going to have it fully open by Friday,” he said. “Oil is starting to go and the prices are coming down rapidly.”
Second phase of negotiations
Trump said the second phase of negotiations with Iran was expected to proceed quickly.
“I think it’s going to happen fairly on time,” he said. “Iran wants to get it done, they have to get back to business, and the relationship is now normalised.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the second phase of talks between the US and Iran will begin on Friday in Switzerland after the MoU signing.
Araghchi said talks with the US would follow a first-stage memorandum of understanding focused on ending the war, the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime blockade and reconstruction issues.
He said the next phase of negotiations would last 60 days and focus on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.
Pakistan to host US-Iran peace deal signing ceremony
Mediator Pakistan will host the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran in Switzerland on Friday.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that a peace agreement between the United States and Iran had been reached and would be formally signed on June 19 in Switzerland.
In a statement posted on X, Prime Minister Sharif said both sides had declared the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”. “The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland.”
PM Sharif said the agreement marks a “historic milestone” for global peace and diplomacy.
He said that after more than three months of sustained diplomatic efforts, Washington and Tehran have agreed to an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including related tensions in the wider Middle East region.
“This is not merely an agreement between two countries, but a victory for dialogue, restraint and diplomacy,” the prime minister said, congratulating the people of Pakistan and the international community on the development.
The Swiss government said that the US-Iran deal could be signed at the Burgenstock resort in central Switzerland on Friday.
The Swiss foreign ministry said it had been in contact with the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar regarding the arrangement.
“At this stage, the signing is scheduled for Friday, June 19, at Burgenstock in the canton of Nidwalden,” it said, adding that the location was proposed by mediators.
Iran confirms lifting of US naval blockade
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said a US naval blockade on Iranian ports had been lifted ahead of the planned signing of peace deal.
“The lifting of the blockade was something we had emphasised from the outset. It has now begun, and the blockade has been lifted prior to the formal signing,” he said, according to Iranian government media.
Political Deputy @TakhtRavanchi to reporters: "The lifting of Iran’s naval blockade has already begun prior to the official signing of the 14-clause MoU. The formal signing by Dr. Qalibaf and US VP JD Vance will take place this Friday, followed by immediate negotiations." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/o5f0UAzLLX
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) June 16, 2026
The Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed that Iran’s Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf would attend the signing ceremony.
He said Ghalibaf would represent Tehran at the formalisation of the agreement, which is intended to end months of confrontation and open the way for broader diplomatic engagement.
Trump said on Monday that US Vice President JD Vance will attend the signing ceremony in Switzerland on behalf of the United States.
