President Trump arrived in France on Monday for the Group of Seven summit as his administration announced that a truce agreement with Iran had been signed.
At the start of a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said the memorandum of understanding with Iran was complete and suggested major progress was imminent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“The deal’s all signed,” Trump said alongside Macron in France. “And the strait is already partially opened.” He added that officials would be “doing a little hunting” for mines in the waterway to ensure it is safe for shipping. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would assist with mine-clearing efforts, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that reopening the Strait of Hormuz could begin “immediately.”
Macron congratulated Trump on the signing of the memorandum. Before the two leaders met, a senior administration official said Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf had all signed the agreement. Trump said Monday, however, that the text may not be made public until sometime after Friday, when a formal signing ceremony is expected. He added that he may not attend, but Vance will.
This year’s G7 summit, which brings together seven of the world’s leading industrialized nations, is being held in Evian-les-Bains, France, an alpine town on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The Iran memorandum is expected to be a major topic in discussions among leaders this week. Over the weekend, a senior administration official told reporters that once the agreement moves forward, other G7 countries have indicated there are several steps they could take in response.
Thibault Camus
The Iran memorandum is sure to come up in the leaders’ conversations this week. A senior administration official told reporters in another call over the weekend that once the deal goes forward, there is much the other G7 countries have said they could do.
The official said Britain and France, for instance, may be able to have ships in the Strait of Hormuz to help with its reopening and the removal of mines. Lingering questions remain about exactly how to extract and destroy the enriched uranium still in Iran’s possession, how safe the strait will be, and how inspections in Iran might take place are another example, the official said.
The signing of the memorandum is expected to kick off 60 days of negotiations for a final deal.
Iran won’t be the only topic at this week’s summit. Economic growth, supply chain resilience, addressing illegal immigration, and the adoption of artificial intelligence technology will also be top topics for the president, the senior administration official told reporters. Ukraine will also be a topic of discussion, according to the president’s schedule.
After his meeting with Macron, Mr. Trump joined a working dinner with other G7 leaders. The G7 consists of the U.S., France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. The European Union is also a permanent, “non-enumerated” member of the group.
On Tuesday, the president is scheduled to:
- Join a working session with other G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenekyy
- Hold a bilateral meeting with with Qatar’s emir
- Hold a bilateral meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates
- Join a working lunch with G7 leaders and Middle East leaders
- Attend another working session of G7 leaders and G7 partner countries on international development
On Wednesday, the president is scheduled to:
- Hold a bilateral meeting with Egypt’s president
- Hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Join a meeting with G7 leaders on tech innovation and AI
- Attend dinner at the Palace of Versailles with Macron
The president is expected to depart France on Wednesday.
