The White House submitted its interim agreement with Iran to the US Congress on Thursday, formally revealing the sweeping concessions and commitments contained in the document signed one day earlier.
The agreement, titled the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America,” contains 14 points intended to halt the war and establish a 60-day period for negotiating a final settlement.
The document carries signatures on behalf of Iran and the United States, while Pakistan signed as a witness and mediator.
Vice President JD Vance said the 60-day negotiating period officially began Thursday. However, the memorandum allows the deadline to be extended by mutual consent, leaving open the possibility of prolonged negotiations.
The agreement immediately ends military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and commits Washington and Tehran not to attack or threaten one another.
It requires the United States to begin dismantling its naval blockade immediately and complete the process within 30 days. Iran, in return, will facilitate toll-free commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the negotiating period.
The document also commits Washington to facilitating at least $300 billion for Iran’s reconstruction and development, granting waivers for Iranian oil exports and negotiating the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Iran pledges not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons but is not required to surrender its enriched uranium stockpile. Instead, the agreement leaves the material inside Iran, where down-blending would take place under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
The memorandum does not require Iran to eliminate its uranium enrichment programme. The future of enrichment will instead be negotiated during talks on the final agreement.
Neither Iran’s ballistic missile programme nor its relationships with regional armed groups are directly addressed in the document.
The full 14-point text sent to Congress reads:
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, and their allies in the current war, by signing this MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.
The final Deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America commit to negotiating and achieving the final Deal, in maximum 60 days extendable with mutual consent.
- Immediately upon the signing of this MoU, the United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final Deal.
- Upon the signing of this MoU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start and, considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles and de-mining by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be instated within 30 days.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.
- The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least USD 300 Billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of final Deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers, and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
- The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, i.e. IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed upon schedule as part of the final Deal.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned and express their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon, in accordance with the schedule mentioned in paragraph seven with the minimum methodology to be down blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA.
The two Parties also agree to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final Deal. The final Deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
- Pending the final Deal, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America agree to maintain the status quo; the Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions and will not deploy additional forces in the region.
- The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the signing of this MoU and until the termination of sanctions, U.S. Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc.
- The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Upon the implementation of this MoU, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiation.
Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred, shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MoU and the future compliance of the final Deal.
- After signing this MoU, and subject to the beginning of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this MoU, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America will start negotiations regarding the final Deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.
- The final Deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC resolution.
The submission follows demands from Republican and Democratic lawmakers who complained that Congress had been kept largely in the dark about an agreement involving sanctions, Iran’s nuclear programme and US military deployments.
The agreement leaves the most contentious questions to the next negotiating phase, including the future of Iranian uranium enrichment, the treatment of existing nuclear material, permanent sanctions relief and arrangements governing the Strait of Hormuz.
It also contains no guarantee that those issues will be settled within 60 days. If negotiations fail, the memorandum does not clearly define which commitments will remain in force or whether military operations could resume.