The final draft of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States includes a commitment by Tehran to refrain from producing or acquiring nuclear weapons, a senior Iranian official said in speaking to Reuters.
The MoU with the United States covers a range of issues, from Tehran’s nuclear program to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as exemptions from US oil sanctions, with the final agreement to be the subject of sixty days of negotiations until both sides reach a consent.
The US-Iran deal signing, however, remains unclear. Trump says it will happen on Sunday (today), but Tehran differs, saying the date “remains under consideration.” According to the Iranian official, the draft memorandum includes the following:
- Iran will open the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial ships, while the US lifts the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
- The US agrees not to impose new sanctions on Iran until a final deal is reached. Washington will suspend oil sanctions on Iran for a specified period, allowing Tehran to sell oil and collect the proceeds. The US agrees to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, including immediate financial liquidity, cooperation among regional countries, and through lines of credit.
- On the nuclear weapons issue, Tehran agrees not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran agrees to maintain the nuclear status quo until a final deal is reached, including not enriching uranium and not expanding its nuclear facilities. The US agrees that Tehran will dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium within Iran under a mechanism to be discussed within sixty days.
- The US in coordination with its regional allies, would prepare a reconstruction and development plan for Iran, to be negotiated and agreed with Tehran within sixty days.
The uranium issue
The uranium stock of Iran is a priority for US President Donald Trump, as he often states. While Iran insists that its nuclear program is for energy purposes only, this is insufficient for Trump, who believes that Tehran also has a nuclear weapons program.
To produce nuclear weapons, uranium must first be “enriched,” a process that involves increasing the concentration of the isotope uranium-235, the main component of nuclear fuel. Since the beginning of the war, Trump has repeatedly proclaimed that Iran must surrender its stockpiles. If the two sides reach an agreement, the US, says Trump, will accompany Iranian officials in the removal and destruction of the isotope uranium-235. At the same time, however, Iran has repeatedly stated that the US and its allies’ plans for “zero enrichment” is a red line for Tehran and a violation of its sovereign rights.
In April 2015, Iran and the P5+1 countries (US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), in conjunction with the EU, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Its aim was to ensure the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear program. In 2018, the US under Trump walked out of the agreement and imposed economic sanctions on Iran, making the agreement fragile.
Since then, in order to retaliate, Tehran expanded its nuclear activities, enriching trace amounts of uranium well beyond the limits set by the original accord.
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