"The passionate and loyal Iranian nation, as you have been informed, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the presidents of Iran and America," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message released on Thursday.

"In the course of reaching this stage, officials, out of compassion and goodwill, made many efforts, and of course it was the US president who, out of desperation, was using various leverage points for this purpose."

The MoU, signed remotely by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump, calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts, the removal of the US naval blockade within 30 days, the restoration of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a reconstruction plan worth at least $300 billion, and the lifting of US sanctions.

Ayatollah Khamenei said he had initially held a different view but authorized the agreement based on commitments made by President Pezeshkian, who as head of the Supreme National Security Council pledged on behalf of himself and other members to safeguard the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.

President Pezeshkian also stated that he will not accept any excessive US demands, the Leader said.

"From this moment, we — meaning you, the proud nation, and this humble servant — will await the fulfillment of the stated conditions. But it is obvious that the in-person negotiations that will take place in the future will not mean accepting the enemy's view," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“We hope that the blessed prayers of our Master [Imam Mahdi] (may God hasten his noble reappearance) will bring all kinds of victories and triumphs for the honorable nation of Iran."

Under the MoU, the two sides have entered a 60-day negotiation period, with the goal of reaching a comprehensive final agreement. In-person negotiations are scheduled to begin on June 19 in Switzerland, with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators.

The agreement followed an unprovoked US-Israeli war of terrorism against Iran that began in late February.