Initial US-Iran Agreement Leaves Many Key Issues to Be Negotiated

The US and Iran announced a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that amounts to a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to try to reach a final deal on most other matters. President Donald Trump framed it as a major win for the US at the G7 summit in France, but new details from US officials confirm both countries still have a long way to go for a comprehensive peace agreement.

Trump has insisted the deal ensures Iran will never develop nuclear weapons, but the text falls short. It only commits Iran to "downblending" its highly enriched uranium stockpile under IAEA supervision. All technical details and timelines must be worked out in a 60-day negotiation period starting after the scheduled signing on Friday. The Obama administration took 20 months to reach the original 2015 Iran nuclear deal, raising questions about achieving this in two months.

Trump said the US will not pay Iran any money, a contrast to the Obama administration's $1.7 billion payment in 2016. However, the agreement text says the US will work with regional partners to develop a plan with at least $300 billion for Iran's reconstruction. A senior US official claimed the deal does not commit the US to pay a cent, but the language appears to leave the door open for eventual payments. This could be a political problem for Trump and VP JD Vance, who campaigned against new "forever wars."

Other key issues receive little attention in the page-and-a-half deal. Hezbollah is barely mentioned beyond the cessation of hostilities, and Iran's missile program is not addressed in detail, despite both being priorities for Trump and Israel. The 60-day deadline is open to extension, and Trump himself sounded noncommittal: "If it doesn't get done in 60 days, it's all right. We go back to bombing."