Paris [France], June 18 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran could be signed within the next 48 hours, signalling a major diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries after months of conflict.

Speaking to the media after arriving in Paris en route to Versailles for a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, Trump expressed confidence about the progress of negotiations with Tehran.

When asked about the timeline for the agreement, Trump replied, 'Over the next, I'd say, 48 hours,' indicating that the document could be signed by the two countries within that period.

The remarks come as Washington and Tehran move closer to formalising a peace framework aimed at ending months of tensions and reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also indicated that the United States would maintain a military presence in the Gulf for the time being, even if the agreement is signed.

When asked how long US forces would remain in the region, the President said, 'Probably awhile... I would say a little while to see how it all goes. I think it's going to go well, but we'll see.'

Earlier in the day, the US President attributed the emerging agreement with Tehran to a long-term strategy and argued that the deal would not have been possible without his decision to authorise the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

'All the tough guys, tough guys don't realise that this wasn't a 3-month deal. This was years in the making. You know why? Because I was the one who killed General Soleimani,' Trump said during a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

'If I didn't kill General Soleimani, we probably wouldn't be talking right now about this deal, because he was a mad genius. They were never able to replace him,' he added.

Trump also said optimism surrounding the prospective agreement had boosted investor confidence and contributed to strong market performance.

'With this announcement, or close to it, as people started to think it was going to happen when Iran was making some very positive statements, the stock market has surged to record highs,' he said, adding that oil prices had also fallen sharply.

According to preliminary details reported by Fox News, the proposed framework includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the American blockade, initiating a 60-day negotiation period over Iran's uranium enrichment programme, sanctions relief measures and a structured ceasefire arrangement involving Israel and Hezbollah. (ANI)