US releases 14-point Iran MOU on Hormuz and nuclear talks

US releases 14-point Iran MOU on Hormuz and nuclear talks

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The United States has released the official text of a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached with Iran over the weekend, setting out commitments on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, limited sanctions and financial relief measures, and a framework for future technical talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

According to the document, titled the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the MOU is due to be formally signed on Friday. US officials said the signing would trigger a 60-day window to negotiate final terms of a broader deal.

A senior US administration official read out the text and said it was intended to allow maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume immediately, while creating what the official described as a mechanism linking economic relief to Iranian compliance. “This is fundamentally an agreement that allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commit the Iranians to destroying the nuclear dust, and then gives us a dial where if the Iranians dial up their good behavior, we respond by dialing up the kind of economic and sanctions relief that can make them a more prosperous country,” the official said.

The memorandum was published after public criticism that its wording had not been released. It follows reporting on a draft version circulating among diplomats, which US officials had earlier disputed as not reflecting the final text.

In the MOU, the two countries and their allies in the current war commit to an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”, and pledge to refrain from threats or use of force against each other, according to the released wording. The document also includes mutual commitments to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interference in internal affairs.

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On shipping, the MOU says that immediately upon signing, the United States will begin removing what it calls its naval blockade and “fully end” it within 30 days. Iran, for its part, says it will use its “best efforts” to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels “with no charge, for 60 days only” between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with demining to be instituted within 30 days. The text also says Iran will hold dialogue with Oman on the future administration and maritime services in the strait, in discussion with other Gulf littoral states and in line with applicable international law.

On economic measures, the MOU states that the United States will work with regional partners on a “definitive, mutually agreed plan” of at least USD 300 billion for Iran’s reconstruction and economic development, with mechanisms to be finalised in a final deal within 60 days. It also sets out US commitments to issue waivers for exports of Iranian crude oil and related products, including associated services such as banking, insurance and transportation, from the signing of the MOU until sanctions termination.

The document further says the United States will make available frozen or restricted Iranian funds and assets upon implementation, with procedures to be agreed during negotiations, and pledges to issue necessary licences and authorisations.

On sanctions, the MOU says the US undertakes to terminate “all types of sanctions against” Iran, including UN Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and unilateral US sanctions, both primary and secondary, according to a schedule to be agreed as part of the final deal.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, the memorandum states that Iran “reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons”. It adds that both sides have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material through a mutually agreed mechanism. The released text includes language on a “minimum methodology” to down-blend enriched material on site under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), language not present in the earlier draft described in the report.

Pending a final deal, the MOU says both sides will maintain the status quo: Iran will maintain the status quo of its nuclear programme, while the US will not impose new sanctions and will not deploy additional forces in the region.

The memorandum also states that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor implementation and future compliance. It adds that negotiations on the remaining paragraphs will begin once implementation starts on specified provisions, including those related to ending military operations, maritime measures, oil export waivers and access to funds.

The final point in the released text says any final deal will be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution.

The report said CNN had previously obtained a draft text and that a diplomat at the G7 summit in France, alongside other sources familiar with the negotiations, confirmed its contents. One of the differences highlighted between draft and final versions was the inclusion in the released text of the “minimum methodology” for neutralising Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the “no charge, for 60 days only” clause for commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

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