The United States and Iran have finally agreed to materialise a long-awaited peace deal aimed at easing tensions and ending years of unrest in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump announced the breakthrough on Sunday (local time), thanking all parties involved in the negotiations.
Trump had earlier said the agreement would be signed on June 14. However, according to reports, Iran delayed its final approval until after midnight. The reason was less about diplomacy and more about symbolism.
As reported by The New York Times, Tehran was unwilling to formally endorse the deal on June 14 because the date coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday. Iranian negotiators reportedly continued discussions until after midnight, allowing the agreement to be officially recognised on June 15 instead.
How 7.5-hour time difference suited for both sides
The time difference between the two countries ultimately helped both sides manage the situation. Tehran is seven and a half hours ahead of Washington, meaning that while it was already June 15 in Iran, it was still June 14 in the United States.
President Trump announced the agreement at 5.29 pm Eastern Time on June 14. At that moment, the time in Tehran was around 1 am on June 15. As a result, both sides were able to present the signing date in a way that suited their respective positions.
The New York Times noted that the difference in time zones allowed each side to claim the timing of the final agreement according to its preference, helping to remove a potential obstacle to the deal’s completion.
All about the deal
While confirming the key agreement, Trump announced that the naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz will be lifted. According to Iranian officials, both sides are expected to begin a proposed 60-day period of negotiations aimed at securing a final agreement.
Iran said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the deal will be made public once it is formally signed on June 19. However, Tehran has stated that it wants to first verify whether the United States fully meets its commitments before entering the next round of negotiations.
Iran has also claimed that the US military was โhumiliatedโ during the conflict, saying this led Washington to accept what it described as โdefeat and surrenderโ.
In addition, Iran said that around 12 billion US dollars of its assets remain frozen, which must be released soon by the US.
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