Senior US officials dictate memorandum with Iran to journalists

Senior US officials dictate memorandum with Iran to journalists The draft agreement would see the US waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran in exchange for nuclear and security commitments. DUBAI: Senior US officials dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists Wednesday (Jun 17) after days of secrecy. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of formal signing ceremony set for Friday. According to the officials, the draft agreement includes a new “minimum” standard for downblending of highly enriched Iranian uranium and has provisions to ensure the “territorial integrity” of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. In return, the US will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran once the deal is signed. The US draft of the agreement also secures toll-free passage of the Strait of Hormuz for only 60 days, and it does not preclude fees in future, the officials said. The accord is due to be signed Friday in Switzerland. It also envisions Iran receiving at least US$300 billion to rebuild after the war, according to leaked copies of an interim agreement that officials say broadly matches the document. TRUMP CASTS UNCERTAINTY ON SIGNING PLANS US President Donald Trump cast some uncertainty on whether the signing would happen as planned. Asked how confident he was that the ceremony would take place, Trump remarked on the unpredictability of deals. “You never know with deals, do you? But you’re going to find out pretty soon,” he said. The US and Israel went to war on Feb 28 in part to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon, although Trump's goals in the conflict have repeatedly shifted. The interim deal stops the war before that aim is secured. Instead, it opens a two-month period for nuclear negotiations and appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return. The US agreement to immediately allow Iran to sell its oil freely and the offer to eventually lift all sanctions, for instance, represent major concessions that go beyond the terms of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Trump withdrew America from that pact in his first term, declaring it the “worst deal ever.” The accord likely will draw intense opposition in Washington, and it appears to be a major setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has come under criticism at home from the media, his opponents and even some allies as details emerge.