Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments.
During the call, Araqchi outlined the memorandum of understanding on ending the imposed war by the US and the Zionist regime against Iran and expressed hope that the agreement would contribute to restoring peace and stability in the region.
The Iranian foreign minister described ending the war in Lebanon as an inseparable part of the broader understanding on ending the conflict.
Recalling the Israeli regime’s record of warmongering, Araqchi stressed that the United States and European countries bear responsibility for exerting pressure on the Zionist regime to bring a complete halt to its aggression against Lebanon.
For his part, Cyprus’ foreign minister welcomed the signing of the memorandum of understanding by Iran and the US, describing the agreement as an important step toward strengthening regional and international security and stability.
Kombos also expressed satisfaction with the process of normalization of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States was signed in the first minutes of June 18, 2026, by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump through a simultaneous digital process without an in-person ceremony.
Iranian officials described the document as a political framework designed to end the imposed US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and create a pathway toward a comprehensive final agreement. The memorandum was finalized after weeks of negotiations and signed in both Persian and English.
The agreement’s first article provides for the immediate and permanent termination of military operations between Iran, the US, and their respective allies across all fronts, including Lebanon, and commits the parties to refrain from future military action or threats of force. The memorandum also stresses respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while negotiations on a final agreement are scheduled to conclude within a maximum period of 60 days and are expected to culminate in a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.
The memorandum establishes a phased economic and maritime mechanism under which Washington undertook to begin lifting restrictions affecting Iran, including measures related to oil exports, banking transactions, insurance, transportation, access to frozen assets, and the removal of the naval blockade according to agreed timelines. In parallel, Iran committed to facilitating secure commercial navigation through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and to coordinating future maritime arrangements with Oman and other regional littoral states in accordance with international law.
On the nuclear issue, the memorandum reaffirms Iran’s stated position against pursuing nuclear weapons while opening a negotiation track on enrichment, sanctions relief, and arrangements concerning enriched materials under a mutually agreed mechanism and International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. Pending the final agreement, Iran is to maintain the current status of its nuclear program, while the US is to refrain from imposing new sanctions or deploying additional military forces in the region.