Iran and the United States are finalizing a memorandum of understanding that contemplates the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday in an interview with state television IRIB. The signing could take place “in the coming days” and digitally.
Araghchi described the agreement as the closest Tehran and Washington have ever been to reaching an understanding since the start of the conflict, unleashed on February 28 with the joint offensive by Israel and the United States against Iran. US President Donald Trump had announced on Thursday the suspension of allegedly planned attacks against the Persian country, following what he described as “highest-level talks” in which both parties approved the “final points” of the agreement.
“As soon as the final stages of the negotiations are completed, the agreement will be signed and announced. The signing will initially take place digitally. Each party will sign remotely,” explained the Iranian foreign minister.
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The document, identified as the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” includes 14 points in its current draft and serves as a framework upon which to build toward a definitive agreement. Among its central pillars are the total lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports —in effect since April 13— and a joint statement with Oman regarding the administration of the Strait of Hormuz, the publication of which Araghchi anticipated as imminent.
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President of the United States, Donald Trump.
The text also includes the United States’ commitment to respect Iranian sovereignty and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs “on a footing of full equality,” as well as the cessation of hostilities on all active fronts. Tehran further conditions any understanding on the release of its frozen assets and guarantees that Israel will not attack Lebanon.
Regarding the nuclear program, Araghchi specified that “the issue of enrichment and stockpiles of enriched materials will be determined in the final agreement”, within a period of 60 days after the signing of the memorandum. The Iranian position, he reiterated, is that the only way to manage the surplus of enriched uranium is by diluting it within Iran.
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The Islamabad Memorandum includes 14 points and sets 60 days for the negotiation regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Araghchi described the Strait of Hormuz as one of Iran’s “main instruments of deterrence” and warned that his administration “will not return to how it was before the war.” Since the beginning of the conflict, Iran has exercised control over traffic in the waterway, requiring authorization from its armed forces for vessels intending to pass through it.
The foreign minister added that the strait, which is “under the sovereignty of Iran and Oman,” will no longer be free: transit services will be charged, unlike what happened for years. The joint statement with Muscat was expected “soon,” according to the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).
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Araghchi was explicit regarding the consequences of a potential breach: “If the terms of the memorandum are not respected, the final agreement will not be signed”. He alluded to Tehran’s previous experience with Washington and warned that “the nature of the other party is the breach of commitments; they create a thousand and one problems in the implementation”.
The foreign minister also pointed out that the Iranian Supreme National Security Council maintains “total control over the negotiations” and that the final decision will be made collectively, despite the existence of “supporters and opponents” of the text within the council itself. Araghchi also warned about attempts to sabotage the agreement: “This agreement has enemies, the first of which is the Zionist regime, which is looking for pretexts to derail it,” he stated.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded to the Iranian announcements with a message on his social media in which he asserted that Israeli forces “will not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip.” Katz emphasized that the Israeli military will continue to operate from Mount Hermon, the mountains of Lebanon, and most of the Gazan territory, in reference to “the lessons learned” from October 7.
Araghchi, for his part, insisted that the memorandum contemplates the end of the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon,” where more than 3,700 people have died at the hands of the Israeli Army since March 2. “We have never forgotten Lebanon in this war, because Lebanon and Hezbollah fought alongside the Iranian people and we will never abandon them,” he declared to IRIB. The foreign minister reiterated that Israel must withdraw from southern Lebanon as a condition of the agreement.
