Foreign policy analysts and peace advocates expressed relief Wednesday that an end to the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli war against Iran may be in sight after the U.S. government released the text of memorandum of understanding reached this week by The Trump administration and Iranian negotiators.
But observers noted that the text of the agreement and remarks by President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven meeting in France seemed to acknowledge how unnecessary the war was – after 3,400 Iranians and thousands of other people across the Middle East were killed by US and Israeli troops.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) states “the immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including here Lebanon,” where Israeli forces have killed more than 3,600 people since the beginning of March, allows a 60-day period to negotiate the final terms of the deal and thinks Iran will “maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program,” which Iranian officials have repeatedly said is not for military purposes.
“The United States of America will not impose any new sanctions and will not deploy additional forces in the region”, says the MoD.
At the National Iranian-American Council, policy director Ryan Costello rejected that COMMENTARY of some of Trump’s opponents in WashingtonDC who portrayed deal as a US capitulation, with some Democratic lawmakers scoffing at the deal’s inclusion of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran — where US and Israeli strikes have destroyed or damaged “100,000 residential units along with schools, hospitals, bridges and other important infrastructure.”
“The essential terms of the agreement are either mutually beneficial or have significant advantages, even those that are denounced, denounced and misrepresented.” has written Costello. “Time will tell if this memorandum can survive the caustic politics in Washington and Tehran that have accompanied every easing of tensions between the US and Iran, and ultimately provided relief that is sorely needed… However, what has begun is not a threat to US security, it is a threat to the Washington mindset that any US-Iran outcome is ultimately zero-sum and that Iran’s gain is America’s loss. The US will benefit if our nation moves off the path to war with Iran. This will be accomplished by the memorandum and the steps it includes.”
In comments to the press at G7 summit, Trump addressed questions about how the Memorandum of Understanding will stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — the main objective of the war, The White House officials have repeatedly said. it released a threat to “bomb them” unless Iran refrains from developing a nuclear weapon, before showing it had reached a point of view long pushed by war opponents and foreign policy experts.
“It’s a little difficult though, when you say somebody wants it, other people have it, other neighboring countries have it, and you’re not letting them have it for electricity purposes and things like that,” the president said, referring to Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump added that neighboring countries also have ballistic missiles, which Iran has long said it should be allowed to have as part of its national security arsenal.
Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy. called them “things we’d better understand before you start a war about them.”
Danny Citrinowicz, an expert on Middle East politics, said“It may have taken a long, costly and complicated conflict, but the United States appears to have reached a conclusion that should have been obvious from the start: Iran’s missile program is non-negotiable because it lies at the core of the regime’s security doctrine.”
“Reasonable people might question whether such a prolonged conflict was necessary to reach this conclusion,” he said. “Yet it is better to recognize strategic realities late than never. Before events got completely out of control, the US administration retreated from maximalist objectives and returned to a more measured and realistic approach.”
The president suggested the planned formal signing of the deal, scheduled for Friday, could still fail and threatened to resume bombing unless Iranian officials “behave.”
it added that he will take credit for the deal if it stands, and blame the Vice President JD Vance “unless it happens.”
Below is the text of the Memorandum of Understanding:
The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have jointly agreed in good faith on (__ date) as follows:
1 — The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war are signing this Memorandum of Understanding to declare an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and undertake to henceforth not launch any war or any military operation against each other and refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, the territory and territorial integrity and security of Lebanon. The final agreement will confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon and the other provisions of this paragraph.
2 — The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
3 — The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days, which may be extended by mutual consent.
4 — Immediately after the signing of this memorandum, the United States of America shall begin the lifting of the naval blockade and any disturbance or obstruction against the Islamic Republic of Iran and shall completely end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, vessel traffic will be proportional to the number of pre-war traffic being restored from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to remove its forces from the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days of the final agreement.
5 — With the signing of this memorandum, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels free of charge, for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. The circulation of commercial ships will start immediately and taking into account the need for the removal of technical and military obstacles, as well as demining from the Islamic Republic of Iran will be established within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to determine the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz under discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in accordance with applicable requirements. international law and the sovereign rights of the coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.
6 — The United States undertakes with regional partners to develop a final, mutually agreed upon plan of at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for implementing this plan will be finalized as part of a final agreement within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers and permits necessary for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
7 — The United States undertakes to end all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions and all US unilateral sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed upon plan as part of the final agreement. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America recognize the critical importance of the issue of ending the sanctions mentioned above and expressed their intentions to immediately address these issues in negotiations with the aim of reaching a mutual agreement on them.
8 — The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposal of stockpiled enriched material in accordance with a mechanism to be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the plan referred to in paragraph seven, with the minimum methodology to be mixed on site under the supervision of the IAEA. Both sides also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed issues related to the nuclear needs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on a satisfactory framework that has been agreed upon in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran recognize the critical importance of the nuclear issues mentioned above. They express their intention to immediately address these issues in negotiations to reach mutual agreement on them.
9 — Pending final agreement, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program, and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions or deploy additional forces to the region.
10 — The United States of America undertakes that immediately after the signing of this memorandum and until the end of sanctions, the US Department of the Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil. oilpetroleum products and derivatives, and all related services, including banking transactions, insurance, FREIGHTetc.
11 — The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on procedures related to the release of these funds during negotiations. Such funds, whether held in the original account or transferred, shall become fully available for payment to any final beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly.
12 — The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this memorandum and future compliance with the final agreement.
13 — After the signing of this memorandum, and subject to the commencement of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this Memorandum, and the continuation of the implementation of these measures, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin negotiations regarding the final agreement exclusively for the other paragraphs.
14 — The final agreement will be approved by a binding resolution of the UNSC.
