Days after striking a framework peace deal with Iran, the Trump administration still hasn’t bothered to release the document to the public. But if the leaked contents are accurate, then the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is designed to buy time for a deeper, more technical negotiation over Iran’s nuclear programme is, if not unimpressive, a damning indictment of the entire war.
At its core, the 14-point draft, which will be signed by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf this Friday, is a bid to rewind back to 27 February, the day before the conflict began. According to the MOU, the war will cease on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israel and Hezbollah continue to fight. Upon the MOU’s signing, the United States will lift the naval blockade on Iran’s ports, and Tehran will “immediately take steps” to bring maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz back to pre-war levels over the next 30 days. The plan also binds Washington to initiate discussions with regional partners on a massive $300 billion reconstruction plan for Iran over a 60-day time frame, the same length of time U.S. and Iranian officials will sit down to navigate a path forward on Tehran’s nuclear work.
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