Images

Why did it take the US and Iran so long to sign a deal? Netizens weigh in

Why did it take the US and Iran so long to sign a deal? Netizens weigh in

Sure, it was on stamp paper... But did it get attested by a Grade 17 officer?
19 Jun, 2026

On Thursday, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief when, after much back and forth and several false alarms, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), pausing hostilities between their two countries and entering into a 60-day negotiation period.

Meanwhile, netizens of Pakistan — the mediator between the two parties and the third signatory of the MoU — known for their excellent meme game and self-deprecating humour, took to X to poke fun at the bureaucracy and red-tapism that tend to slow down even the smallest of tasks.

Others said these weren’t enough and the advice might be a little dated.

One user, noting that the requirements hadn’t been met by end of day, said the agreement would have to wait till the next day.

The much-awaited MoU is just the first step in the negotiating process; the US and Iran will now spend the next 60 days trying to hammer out a treaty to definitively end the conflict.

The agreement faces some jeopardy from Israeli military actions in Lebanon, which continue despite Iranian stakeholders explicitly declaring fighting had to stop.

Iran and the US have not exchanged fire yet and the Strait of Hormuz has opened to traffic, sending oil prices down.

Comments

1000 Characters