The document is about “a page and a half” long and “very general,” according to U.S.-Iran agreement, as revealed to CNN by U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance.
The U.S. Vice President is expected in Switzerland on Friday for the official signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding US-Iran. However, the memorandum has already been signed electronically by Trump and Vance on the U.S. side, as well as the speaker of the Iranian parliament and Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to a high-ranking U.S. official.
“The president wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show (…) his commitment to finding a favorable solution,”, the official told the press, on condition of anonymity.
Vance acknowledged that the framework agreement leaves the discussion of the most contentious issues, particularly Iran’s nuclear program, for later.
For his part, Trump explained that the text will be published “probably soon.” “I would say sometime after Friday,” he added.
The Strait of Hormuz Opens
J.D. Vance stated yesterday, Monday, that he expects Iran will not impose tolls on Strait of Hormuz, while emphasizing that Tehran will not receive a portion of its frozen assets in exchange for signing the agreement to end the war.
“The Strait is already partially open, as you know,” said U.S. President Donald Trump alongside his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Evian, where the G7 summit is being held, one day after the announcement of a framework agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. “On Friday, it will be completely open,” he emphasized.
For his part, Vance told CNBC that the U.S. expects Iran will not impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, although Iranian diplomats have spoken of “fees” for maritime services.
When asked whether the Strait of Hormuz would reopen without tolls during the 60-day negotiation period, Vance replied: “Our expectation is that the Strait will open without tolls in the long term. We will discuss these kinds of issues in these technical negotiations.”
Iranian sources
In an interview with ABC News, the U.S. vice president stated that the signing of the memorandum of understanding would not result in the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Vance added that the preliminary agreement was signed electronically on Sunday and no funds were released. “No money has been released, and that will not change,” he emphasized, explaining that Iran will receive funds only after it takes steps to eliminate its stockpiles of enriched uranium.
“If we see the Iranians taking action, for example, to eliminate their stockpiles of enriched material, then yes, sanctions relief will follow. If we see the Iranians taking action to allow the kind of verification regime we need to know that they are not going to build nuclear weapons, yes, sanctions will be eased,” he said.
““If they don’t do the right things, if they don’t allow the verification regime, they will never have the money to rebuild their nuclear program from scratch,” Vance emphasized. “They will never receive a single dollar from the American taxpayer. Never,” he insisted while speaking to Fox News.
“What this agreement says,” he continued, “is that if the Iranians honor their commitments, if sanctions are eased, and if Iran rejoins the global economy, we will invite other countries—not us, but other countries—to invest in their country.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. vice president announced on NBC News that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be instructed to travel to Iran to help Tehran “destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.” “This is stated very clearly in the agreement protocol,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, according to a senior U.S. official, U.S. armed forces will not immediately withdraw from the theater of operations, waiting to see that “the Iranians will do what they promised.”
