LONDON, 15 Jun – Here is what the US and Iran, together with Pakistan, acting as mediator, said about the content of the preliminary agreement they announced to end the war:
How the agreement will be implemented
• Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said both sides have declared an immediate and permanent end to all military operations.
• All parties stated that the memorandum of understanding on ending the war will be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the memorandum will then be published.
• Both Iran and the US have stated that the Strait of Hormuz will begin to reopen and that the US blockade of Iranian ports will begin to be lifted once the memorandum is signed.
• Both sides stated that negotiations on more complex disputed issues — notably the Iran nuclear issue and US sanctions against Iran — will be conducted over the next 60 days.
Strait of Hormuz and blockade of Iranian ports
• US President Donald Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen on Friday and that he ordered the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports.
• A senior Iranian official said the strait will be reopened “to all commercial ships” once the memorandum is signed.
• Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that according to the memorandum, maritime traffic through the strait will be regulated by Iran in coordination with Oman.
Iran’s nuclear program
• Both sides said Iran agrees not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons — a promise Tehran has made repeatedly for decades.
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• The senior Iranian official said that pending a final agreement, Iran will freeze its nuclear activities, refraining from carrying out further uranium enrichment or expanding nuclear facilities.
• The senior Iranian official said the US has agreed that Iran will be able to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium within Iran under a future comprehensive deal.
• Trump said on Saturday there was no urgency to remove Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material and that the US would get it back “when everything is calm.”
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• Trump said there would be a strict inspection regime for Iran under any deal, but did not elaborate.
• US Senator Lindsey Graham said that any final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program will have to be reviewed and approved by Congress.
Sanctions and financial impact
• The Iranian official said the US agreed not to impose new sanctions on Iran until a final agreement is reached.
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• Added that the US would waive oil sanctions against Iran for a specific period and that following the final agreement, all US and UN sanctions will be lifted according to an agreed schedule.
• The senior Iranian official said the US agreed to release $25 billion of Iran’s frozen assets, including through direct money transfers, cooperation between countries in the region and financial credit lines.
• Washington, in coordination with its regional allies, will prepare a reconstruction and development plan for Iran, to be negotiated and agreed with Tehran within 60 days, they added.
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• Trump said that Iran will not receive money, but that sanctions could be lifted.
Lebanon
• Sharif said immediate and permanent end to all military operations will include Lebanon.
• The Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council stated that military operations will cease permanently on Monday night, including in Lebanon.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there must be a total halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and that the US is responsible for implementing the framework agreement.
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israeli armed forces will remain in the security zones they captured in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made this clear to Trump.
• Before the memorandum was announced, Trump said he would bring peace to the region, including Lebanon. He stated that there should be no more Israeli attacks on Lebanon nor any more attacks by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah against Israel.
