Donald Trump’s fixation with reaching an Iran deal that he can sell as an improvement on Barack Obama‘s agreement is hindering efforts to end his war in the Middle East for good.
Trump is also under pressure from Israel and hawkish Republicans to strike a deal that goes further than the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran agreed by former president Obama.
However, a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) under negotiation with Tehran appears increasingly reminiscent of the 2015 deal that Trump has repeatedly attacked in a politically damaging comparison he is desperate to avoid.
While firm details of the MoU are unclear and still under negotiation, reports suggest it includes a further 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a framework to restart negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US is pushing for a 20-year moratorium on enrichment and an agreement that Iran will never pursue a nuclear weapon. Trump has also repeatedly demanded an end to any uranium enrichment, a red line for Iran.
