Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Iran deliberately delayed its public announcement of a breakthrough peace understanding with the United States until after midnight local time in order to avoid allowing the development to coincide with US President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations, according to reports citing Iranian and American officials.
The unusual dispute over timing has offered a glimpse into the political sensitivities surrounding the agreement that aims to end months of conflict and reopen vital regional shipping routes, including traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump had publicly insisted for days that the agreement would be announced and finalized on Sunday, a date that also marked his 80th birthday. The president spent the day celebrating both the milestone and the United States’ 250th anniversary, including attending a major mixed martial arts event at the White House.
Iran, however, appeared determined not to allow the diplomatic breakthrough to become part of Trump’s birthday narrative.
According to officials cited by The New York Times, Tehran chose to wait until after midnight Sunday night before publicly confirming that the text of a memorandum of understanding with Washington had been completed. The move ensured that the announcement fell on Monday in Iran, even though it was still Sunday in the United States because of the seven-and-a-half-hour time difference between the two countries.
A US official confirmed the timing issue, saying the Iranian announcement came shortly after midnight local time, allowing both governments to present the development according to their preferred timelines.
The disagreement had been brewing for days. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had publicly rejected Trump’s repeated assertions that a deal would be signed on Sunday, arguing that negotiations were still underway and that no final text had yet been completed.
In statements published over the weekend, the Revolutionary Guard criticized what it described as Trump’s insistence on linking the agreement to his birthday celebrations. It suggested that some observers viewed the proposed timing as an attempt to transform a major diplomatic achievement into a personal political event.
Trump nevertheless continued to signal confidence that an agreement was imminent. Writing on social media Sunday, he referred to a “special day” and said the United States was very close to reaching peace with Iran. He later maintained that the signing process remained on track despite regional tensions, including Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The sequence of announcements ultimately unfolded over several hours. Pakistan, which has played a central mediation role between Washington and Tehran, first revealed that the two sides had reached agreed wording for a deal. Trump then announced that an understanding had been achieved that would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the restoration of maritime traffic.
Shortly afterward, Iranian officials confirmed that the text of the memorandum had been finalized and would be formally signed in Switzerland later this week.
The signing ceremony is expected to take place in Geneva on Friday and could bring together senior representatives from both sides, including Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. US Vice President JD Vance is also expected to attend.
Following the signing, negotiators are expected to begin a 60-day round of talks focused on Iran’s nuclear program and broader regional security arrangements.
While the dispute over the timing of the announcement may appear symbolic, it underscored the deep mistrust that continues to shape relations between Washington and Tehran even as both sides move toward what could become the most significant diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries in years.
