The United States and Iran will officially sign next Friday in Swiss a agreement that ends the war and unlocks the Strait of Hormuzalthough he leaves negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program for later.
These are the keys to the memorandum of understanding, 14 pointsread by a senior official of the Donald Trump Administration during a call with journalists on condition of anonymity.
End of hostilities
USA and Iran, together with its allies, declare the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts“, including Lebanon.
This puts an end to the war that began on February 28, with the beginning of the American and Israeli offensive against the Islamic Republic.
However, neither Israel nor the Shiite militia Hezbollah are signatories to the agreement, so the end of the conflict in southern Lebanon will depend on the ability of the United States and Iran to influence their respective allies.
Unlocking the Strait of Hormuz
After signing the memorandum, Iran undertakes “to make all necessary efforts to guarantee the safe and free passage of merchant ships for 60 days” through the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the war, which has caused disruptions in the global supply of oil.
Iran will also hold talks with Oman, a neighboring country, to “define the future administration” of the strait, in consultation with the rest of the Persian Gulf countries.
For its part, the United States “will begin to lift the naval blockade” against ships leaving and arriving at Iranian ports, which it will definitively end within a period of 30 days.
Two months for a final agreement
In the memorandum, the United States and Iran give themselves a period of 60 days to negotiate a definitive peace agreement, which must be ratified by a binding resolution of the UN Security Council.
Pending the final agreement, the United States and Iran agree to “maintain the status quo,” so that the Iranian nuclear program will remain in place and the United States will not impose new sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region
The Trump Administration is committed to withdrawing its military presence from the vicinity of Iran within 30 days once the final agreement is signed.
The Iranian nuclear program
The memorandum does not resolve disputes over the Iranian nuclear program, which the United States has demanded to dismantle, and leaves its negotiation for the final agreement.
In the text, Iran, which has always maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, “reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons.”
Besides, Washington and Tehran agree to negotiate a mechanism for the destruction of highly enriched uranium stored in Iran under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Lifting of sanctions
As part of the final agreement, the United States agrees to “lift all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” including those from the UN Security Council.
The United States will also issue licenses to allow Iranian oil exports and agrees to “make available frozen funds and assets” of Iran once the memorandum of understanding is implemented.
The Trump Administration is also committed to designing an investment plan for US$300 billion for the “reconstruction” from Iran, an issue that has generated controversy in Washington, where the hard wing of the Republican Party opposes the delivery of funds to Tehran.