WASHINGTON -- Senior US officials have disclosed details of the framework deal with Iran that is set to be officially signed during a ceremony in Switzerland on June 19.The memorandum of understanding envisages ending the fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, and ending the US naval blockade on Iran, according to the text read out on a background call with reporters on June 17.
Upon officially signing the deal, the two sides commit to agreeing to a final settlement in 60 days that includes limits to Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of US sanctions on the Islamic republic, the US officials said.“This is fundamentally an agreement that allows us to open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, commits the Iranians to destroying the nuclear stockpile, and then gives us a dial,” one senior US official said.The accord, which has already been signed electronically, marks the most sweeping US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough in years and comes after months of war, maritime disruption, and back-channel negotiations involving regional mediators.Despite presenting the agreement as a major diplomatic opening, US officials repeatedly stressed deep skepticism about Tehran’s intentions and warned military and economic pressure could quickly resume.A second senior US official said a critical test would come at talks in Switzerland this weekend, where negotiators are expected to try to convert the memorandum into a sequencing plan for implementation.“The meeting this weekend in Switzerland will be quite critical,” the official said. “If one party is not meeting the expectation of the other party, we’ll hopefully know within days or weeks, not months.”Hormuz Toll-Free, US Blockade LiftedOne of the most significant provisions requires Iran to facilitate safe commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz free of charge for 60 days, while negotiating a longer-term maritime framework with Oman and Arab states in the Persian Gulf.The United States will begin ending its naval blockade immediately upon the official signing and fully remove it within 30 days, according to the text.
