Iran-US Peace Deal Sparks Competing Victory Claims as Israel Vows Continued Operations and Oil Prices Slide
Hours after the landmark Iran-US peace agreement was signed, both Washington and Tehran moved swiftly to portray the deal as a diplomatic triumph, underscoring the deep differences that continue to shape their relationship despite the breakthrough.
US President Donald Trump strongly defended the agreement against critics and cited the surge in financial markets as evidence of its success.
Pointing to record highs on Wall Street, Trump argued that the deal had strengthened global confidence and reduced geopolitical uncertainty.
On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian projected the agreement as a victory for national resilience and sovereignty.
Sharing images of the signed memorandum of understanding (MoU), Pezeshkian declared that the accord represented “the voice of a nation that did not trade its dignity and independence for any threat or pressure.”
Even as the agreement generated optimism in diplomatic circles, regional tensions showed little sign of disappearing.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced that they would continue military operations in southern Lebanon despite the Iran-US accord.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the IDF said its troops remain deployed nearly 10 kilometres inside Lebanese territory and will continue to neutralise threats and reinforce security arrangements for communities in northern Israel.
The announcement highlighted Israel’s determination to maintain its military posture irrespective of the latest diplomatic developments.
Adding another dimension to the post-deal debate, President Trump indicated that Iran should be permitted to retain a limited ballistic missile capability.
Speaking in France shortly after the agreement was finalised, Trump argued that several countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, possess similar missile systems.
He suggested that ballistic missiles were not the principal issue in the negotiations, emphasising that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained the overriding objective of the agreement.
Tehran, however, struck a note of caution regarding the implementation of the accord. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned that Iran would closely scrutinise whether the United States fulfilled its obligations under the agreement.
He made it clear that Tehran would not honour its commitments if Washington failed to uphold its own responsibilities.
Baghaei also reiterated that Iran’s ballistic missile programme remains non-negotiable and firmly rejected any suggestion that the country would export or surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Global energy markets reacted positively to the easing of tensions. The reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most important maritime routes for oil and gas shipments—significantly reduced fears of disruptions in energy supplies.
The improved outlook prompted a decline in crude prices during early trading, with both Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate falling by more than one per cent following the announcement of the agreement.
While both sides have hailed the Iran-US peace deal as a diplomatic success and have brought temporary relief to global markets, the differing interpretations of the accord and persistent regional security concerns indicate that the path toward lasting stability in the Middle East remains uncertain and fraught with challenges.
