For a relatively short “memorandum of understanding” (MoU), the draft agreement between the United States and Iran is taking a very long time to finalize.
That’s because language and sequencing is everything; every last word will be parsed and debated; every connection between one element and another scrutinized.
For example, will the 60-day process envisaged in the MoU be defined as an extension of the weeks-long ceasefire or a definitive end to hostilities?
Even if the MoU is just a page covering about a dozen points in brief, as many accounts have suggested, it’s not that simple.
PEOPLE WALK PAST A MURAL DEPICTING THE LATE LEADER OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION, AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI, AND THE LATE IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IN TEHRAN, IRAN, MAY 12, 2026.
