"Why Insist on a Birthday Signing?"... Last-Minute Tug-of-War

[Anchor]

Meanwhile, Iran is expressing resentment over the signing date proposed by Trump. That date, June 14, is Trump's birthday. Consequently, they are claiming that Trump is "insisting on aligning it with his own birthday."

Here is a report from correspondent Han Sang-woo.

[Reporter]

[Ghalibaf, Araghchi, what about the blood of my leader?]

Following news that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war between the U.S. and Iran is imminent, hardliners in Iran have held protests against it.

They are pushing back, arguing that the agreement does not serve the national interest and would result in losing control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has strongly criticized U.S. President Trump for setting the signing date for the 14th.

They criticized him, stating, "President Trump is showing unusual stubbornness to sign it on June 14, his birthday," and added, "There is criticism that this insistence stems from President Trump's desire to use this signing ceremony symbolically and as a personal promotional event."

The Iranian government, which acknowledges that the signing of the MOU to end the war is near, is also negative about the 14th.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "The timing of the MOU signing remains to be seen."

They are also expressing a position completely opposite to that of Trump, who is emphasizing nuclear abandonment as an achievement.

The Foreign Ministry stated, "The MOU currently under discussion focuses on ending the war, and we have decided not to discuss the nuclear issue at this stage."

[Abbas Araghchi / Iranian Foreign Minister: The nuclear issue will be more difficult, and we have left it for the second phase, for which 60 days of negotiations are planned.]

Israel's airstrikes on Lebanon are also adding last-minute uncertainty to the ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for 20 villages in southern Lebanon on the 13th (local time) and resumed airstrikes, while Hezbollah also struck Israeli military outposts.

Reported by Han Sang-woo | Video by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Han Heung-soo
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.