The US and Iran have digitally signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding that President Trump says will permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The text of the agreement tells a slightly different story.
Core nuclear questions, including uranium enrichment limits and verification of nuclear activities, have been punted to a 60-day follow-up negotiation period. What the deal does include is a commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a battlefield pause, and the establishment of a $300B private-sector reconstruction fund.
What’s actually in the deal
The MOU, digitally signed on June 19, 2026, ahead of a formal ceremony, is best understood as a framework rather than a finished product.
Trump has positioned the agreement as a decisive break from the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear deal the US withdrew from in 2018. The JCPOA attempted to set concrete limits on Iran’s enrichment capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. This new memorandum takes a fundamentally different approach by separating the economic and security components, tackling reconstruction incentives first while deferring the nuclear specifics.
