What's In The US-Iran Memorandum Of Understanding?

President Donald Trump and the Islamic Republic of Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding. What is in the agreement and how are outlets covering it?

The Memorandum: The agreement signed on Wednesday contains 14 points and establishes a 60-day window to negotiate a final agreement.

Analysis of the Document: Some outlets, like the Wall Street Journal (Center bias) and BBC (Center) provided analysis of the 14 points in the agreement.

Reactions To The Document: Outlets like ABC News (Lean Left) and Fox News (Right) focused more on reactions of people following the document's announcement than the document itself. The Fox article highlighted comments from both Iranian and Israeli athletes. The Iranian athlete expressed his disappointment over the Islamic regime's survival, saying "Many believed that under President Trump, the Islamic Republic would become history," adding that "Instead, it was handed one of the greatest opportunities in its history to survive." Fox News said that Israelis "have been among the harshest critics of the deal, warning the agreement does not do enough to safeguard Israel's security." The Israeli athlete told Fox News the deal is "a disgrace," saying "We emboldened the regime" and after we "all but won," it was "the cost of gas and summer AC bills that stranded the Iranian people." The ABC article focused only on Iranian reactions, saying the deal "has been received with low-level enthusiasm by many in Iran," with many saying "any deal is not likely to fix the country's deep-rooted problems."

Point 1: The first point called for an end to the conflict "on all fronts." The Wall Street Journal said the "inclusion of Lebanon is highly controversial in Israel, which is fighting a war there with Hezbollah."

Point 2: The second point involves both nations agreeing to respect each other's internal affairs and read verbatim says that both nations will "respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity." BBC noted that this point "will likely be received negatively by Iranian dissident groups," and mentioned the promise by Trump earlier this year to send help to the Iranian protestors.

Point 3: The deal is negotiable for a maximum of 60 days but may be extended upon mutual consent. The Wall Street Journal said "the tough questions around Iran's nuclear program and funds for reconstruction will be tackled in this second phase."

Point 4: The US will remove the naval blockade and "any disturbances or impediments" from the Strait of Hormuz and any Iranian ports within 30 days. The US will also remove all American forces from the "proximity of Iran" within 30 days of a final deal being signed. The Wall Street Journal called this "the meat of the deal."

Point 5: The Strait of Hormuz will be opened by Iran to allow for the safe travel of commercial vessels with no charge. The document notes that this will take place "immediately," and Iran will work with Oman and other Gulf states to set up a "broader" deal on the management of the Strait.

Point 6: The US and regional partners will allocate up to $300 billion for Iran's reconstruction and economic development. BBC noted that "this does not mean the US will be financially involved," giving as an example Emirati authorities building a power plant in Iran with the blessing of the US.

Point 7: The US will end all sanctions against the Islamic Republic. BBC noted "the timeline, however, is unclear," and the Wall Street Journal called this point "the big carrot."

Point 8: Iran will not be permitted to procure or develop a nuclear weapon, and both sides have agreed to dispose of Iran's currently held enriched uranium. BBC said "Because the US has described the deal as performance-based, the sanctions relief specified in point 7 is tied to Iran complying with point 8."

Point 9 and 10: These points call for a "status quo" in terms of Iran's nuclear program. The Wall Street journal says this "freezes the nuclear standoff in place." The US will not impose new sanctions and will issue waivers for the export of oil and petroleum products, banking transactions, and transportation. This will be in place until the enriched uranium can be dealt with.

Point 11: Iran will be given access to its estimated $100 billion in frozen assets, with BBC mentioning that the assets will be released as talks continue "to reward Iran when it complies with aspects of the agreement."

Points 12-14: These final points lay out how the deal will unfold logistically, explaining that both nations will establish a "mechanism" to "monitor the successful implementation" of the memorandum. Once a final deal is reached, it will be "endorsed by a binding resolution of the UN Security Council."  

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