Trump Signs US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, Threatens Resuming Bombing If Iran Doesn’t Behave

President Donald Trump signed a US-Iran memorandum of understanding during a dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France, and the agreement text was sent to the Iranians after the signing, according to CNN’s account of two US officials.

CNN reported that the memorandum says the US will issue waivers so Iran can export oil and spells out provisions for reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz, while also stating Tehran will “not procure or develop nuclear weapons” and committing the US and regional partners to developing a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran.

BBC

CBS News said Trump emphasized the US-Iran agreement is “not final” and warned the US could resume bombing Iran “if they don't behave,” after a White House official confirmed the memorandum was signed remotely and is now “in effect.”

The BBC said the memorandum outlines a broad framework with an immediate end to all military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and that it paves the way for a 60-day negotiation period to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

In parallel, the Guardian reported that Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to saying the alternative would be a “worldwide depression,” arguing that without the deal “the strait [of Hormuz] would never have been opened.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the memorandum was signed in both English and Farsi upon Iran’s insistence for transparency, and IRIB quoted him saying, “This represents the highest level of transparency in our public communication.”

The BBC reported that Baghaei explained why the text was signed before the Friday ceremony, saying, “violating it would incur greater costs,” and that the Switzerland meeting remains on the agenda while the sides see “what result we reach.”

CBS News

In Washington, USA Today said lawmakers reacted to the deal after the text was shared by a US official with reporters on Wednesday, June 17, as the agreement is due to be formally signed on Friday, June 19 in Switzerland.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, told USA Today that “Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” adding that “Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed,” while Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, called it a “thorough capitulation” and said, “Hard to imagine a more thorough capitulation.”

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Reuters at a conference in Vienna hosted by the European Council on Foreign Relations that the “detail will matter” and that it will be “most important to see the verification mechanisms” beyond uranium enrichment commitments.

The Guardian said the 14-point agreement would provide financial incentives to Iran, including the immediate lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and waivers for Iranian crude oil to be shipped abroad, alongside plans for a $300bn reconstruction fund for Iran funded by regional partners in the Gulf.

“• Agreement signed: President Donald Trump officially signed a copy of the US-Iran agreement during tonight’s dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France, according to two US officials”

CNN

The BBC said the memorandum commits the two countries to non-interference in each other’s internal affairs while postponing thorny issues like how to constrain or end Iran’s nuclear program to a final agreement, and it said the memorandum is to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

In the text as published by یورونیوز, Clause 1 declares an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and Clause 4 says the US will lift the naval blockade and restore maritime traffic capacity to full within 30 days.

The Guardian reported that senior administration officials said the deal would help prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, pointing to an agreement to discuss down-blending its 440kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and it quoted a senior administration official saying, “At a minimum, the enriched stockpile will be destroyed by down-blending.”

In Lebanon-related stakes, the CBS News live updates said Tehran has said that if Israel keeps troops in Lebanon and continues attacks, it would be considered a violation of the agreement with Washington, while CNN said the text ends the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel has continued to carry out strikes.