Iran Tensions Ease as US and Tehran Sign Islamabad Peace Memorandum
Iran tensions have begun to ease after the United States and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to end a three-month war. The agreement establishes a provisional peace framework that suspends hostilities, reopens the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, and sets a 60-day period for further negotiations on issues including Iran's nuclear program. [5]
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding Signed
The 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding provides a framework to end the conflict and restart oil trade around the Persian Gulf. [5] Negotiations on the thorniest issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, have been deferred to a 60-day negotiating period, which the deal states is extendable by mutual consent. [5] The document states that the United States and Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon, adding that a satisfactory framework will be agreed upon in the final deal. [5] The MoU states that Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. [5] The first paragraph of the MoU states that there will be an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. [5] It also says that Iran and the United States will commit to ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. [5]
Trump's Statements on Iran
President Donald Trump on Friday again insisted that a diminished Iran is finished and will receive no U.S. money after the two sides agreed to a memorandum of understanding. [1] In a pair of posts on Truth Social, Trump dismissed Democrat criticism. [1] Trump said at a press conference on Wednesday that the United States is going to bomb the hell out of them if they violate the agreement. [5] He added that he does not want them to violate it and wants them to honour the agreement. [5] Trump said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday that the peace agreement would ensure that the strait was permanently toll-free. [5] Trump reiterated on Tuesday that the main thing was ensuring that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. [5] He said they fully agreed to that with strong policing powers. [5] Trump criticised Israeli conduct in Lebanon at the G7 on Tuesday. [5]
Vance's Role and Postponed Talks
Vice President JD Vance is poised to take on a major role on the international stage as President Donald Trump's chief negotiator in efforts to end the three-month war with Iran. [3] The two nations agreed to a provisional peace agreement on Wednesday that suspended hostilities. [3] Washington announced late on Thursday that Vice President JD Vance would not travel to Switzerland for negotiations as the logistics had not been simple or predictable. [5] Iran says mediator-led consultations ongoing for next phase of US talks after Switzerland meeting postponed. [2] Iran denies inviting International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors as consultations with US on next phase of talks continue through mediators. [2]
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The MoU states that Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge, for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. [5] The first maritime traffic restarted only hours after the deal was signed, with three Saudi-flagged supertankers sailing through the strait on Thursday morning. [5] While the MoU states that Iran will not charge tolls during the 60-day negotiating period, the long-term future is less clear. [5] Iran said on Thursday that it plans to introduce fees for ships passing through the strait. [5] The MoU states only that Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz. [5] A navigational alert comes as US-Iran agreement raises hopes for gradual resumption of shipping through key energy route. [4]
Sanctions Relief and Economic Provisions
The MoU includes several measures that will offer economic relief to Iran, where a US naval blockade on exports during the war has compounded years of US sanctions. [5] In exchange for the free passage of ships through the strait, the MoU states that the US is to immediately dismantle its naval blockade, with full US withdrawal following 30 days after signing. [5] The US began removing the blockade on Friday morning. [5] The MoU also states that the US will terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral US sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed upon schedule as part of the final deal. [5] Discussing the deal on Wednesday, Trump said the United States has sanctions that will never let them rebuild. [5] He added that if the US continued its current measures, there would be poverty, then 91m people would starve. [5] The MoU also states that the US will undertake to release Iran’s frozen assets, some of which it has held since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. [5] Also promised is that the US will provide at least USD 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. [5] Later that day, Vance said that the US would invite other countries, not us, but other countries, to invest. [5] Trump echoed this on Tuesday, saying in a press conference that the US is not investing ten cents in Iran. [5]
Ceasefire in Lebanon and Nuclear Postponement
Israel has drastically expanded its invasion of southern Lebanon since March to purge Hezbollah and now occupies around a fifth of the country. [5] Israel has also increased its bombing, killing over 3,000 people since March in violation of several ceasefire agreements, and continuing on Thursday and Friday morning despite the MoU. [5] Israel and Hezbollah agreed to yet another ceasefire on Friday afternoon, according a senior US official. [5] Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, said on Monday that Trump's agreement does not bind us and that Israel is not party to this agreement. [5] Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely within what Israel calls its security zones in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. [5] The MoU postpones talks on Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium. [5] On the table over the next 60 days will be the fate of Iran’s uranium stockpiles, which are presently understood to be enriched to around 70 perce. [5]
What to watch next: mediator-led consultations continue for the next phase of US talks, with the 60-day negotiating period now underway for final settlement on issues including Iran's nuclear programme.
