U.S.–Iran MOU Deadline Expires – The American Conservative

The 60-day deadline to a U.S.–Iran framework peace deal expired on Monday. That agreement—known as the “memorandum of understanding”—had aimed to lock in a ceasefire, open the Strait of Hormuz, and lead to talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Signed in June by President Donald Trump and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, it quickly fell apart.

Al Arabiya, a Saudi outlet, reported Monday that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to extend the 60-day ceasefire. But Iran’s Foreign Ministry appeared to contradict that reporting. “We did not start any negotiations at all, and the U.S. violated the understanding from the very beginning; therefore, the 60-day issue is not relevant,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday.

The MOU broke down after Iran accused the U.S. of violating the agreement by opening an alternative shipping lane in the strait outside of Iranian management. The Islamic Republic struck vessels using that route and the U.S. renewed its own bombing campaign against Iran. The most recent round of intensive U.S. strikes against Iran occurred in late July.

Iran’s latest proposal for opening the Strait of Hormuz, published August 8, reflects a firmer bargaining position than what it agreed to in the MOU. The New York Times reported that Iran is demanding the U.S. “lift its naval blockade and sanctions on Iran, withdraw the U.S. military from around Iran, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets, as well as end attacks on Iran’s allies in the region and threats against the country.” Previously, Tehran had demanded some of those actions, notably economic relief, take place as part of the process leading to a comprehensive deal.