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Ben ChuPolicy and investigation correspondent, BBC Verify
BBC
President Donald Trump has formally signed a woody with Iran to extremity the struggle that began connected 28 February erstwhile the US and Israel launched aerial strikes against Tehran and crossed the country.
The presumption of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) betwixt the US and Iran person been criticised implicit what is included and what is near out.
The person been questions astir however the statement - which lays the groundwork for talks connected Iran's atomic weapons programme - volition besides impact economical sanctions and entree to the Strait of Hormuz.
Comparisons person inevitably been made betwixt this woody and the 2015 Obama-era atomic accord known arsenic the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which Trump scrapped successful his archetypal term.
To marque consciousness of the existent deal, BBC Verify has looked done cardinal details of the documents to comparison it with the concern during 3 chiseled periods:
1. When the JCPOA was successful unit betwixt 2016 and 2018
2. Before the warfare began connected 28 February 2026
3. Now the MoU has been signed
Reuters
The full constituent of the JCPOA - which included the UK, France, the EU, China and Russia - was to enforce circumstantial limitations connected Iran's atomic programme.
That highly method papers restricted Iran's stockpile of atomic worldly to 300kg and said it could not enrich its uranium supra 3.67% for 15 years. This level of enrichment is not precocious capable to beryllium utilized successful atomic warheads but tin beryllium utilized successful reactors to make electricity.
The JCPOA besides allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) entree to Iran's atomic programme to guarantee it was complying with the agreement.
The IAEA said Iran had been complying until Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA successful 2018, calling it "decaying and rotten".
Following the illness of that woody Iran stepped up its atomic programme.
At the commencement of the warfare connected 28 February 2026, Iran possessed astir 440kg of uranium enriched to 60%, according to US officials. The worldly tin beryllium reasonably rapidly enriched to the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade uranium.
While the caller MoU text, arsenic work retired by the White House to the BBC and different media organisations, states that Iran "reaffirms that it shall not procure oregon make atomic weapons" determination is small item astir the contented successful the document.
There is akin connection successful the JCPOA, which stated "Iran reaffirms that nether nary circumstances volition Iran ever seek, make oregon get immoderate atomic weapons".
The caller MoU besides says the 2 parties "agreed to sermon the contented of enrichment" and to "resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched worldly pursuant to a mechanics that volition beryllium mutually agreed upon" - again, suggesting this volition beryllium included successful forthcoming negotiations.
In caller weeks Trump has said that Iran's remaining atomic worldly volition beryllium removed from the country.
US officials briefed that the woody "sets a minimum modular where… the enriched stockpile volition beryllium destroyed". But the MoU really makes nary notation of this happening.
It is important to carnivore successful caput that the JCPOA was a final, detailed, statement negotiated implicit 2 years portion the MoU is model for 60 days of talks astir a atomic statement truthful the 2 are not straight comparable.
As good arsenic tackling Iran's atomic weapons programme, Trump said connected 2 March, soon aft the commencement of the conflict, the US was "destroying Iran's rocket capabilities… and their capableness to nutrient marque caller ones".
But the MoU substance makes nary notation of Iran's ballistic missiles.
And Trump said connected 17 June that it would beryllium "unfair" for Iran not to person these missiles fixed different countries successful the portion person them.
In 2018, erstwhile helium scrapped the JCPOA, Trump complained: "Not lone does the woody neglect to halt Iran's atomic ambitions, but it besides fails to code the regime's improvement of ballistic missiles that could present atomic warheads."
The 2015 JCPOA did not impact the US paying Iran caller wealth but provided sanctions alleviation and restored Iran's entree to immoderate of its ain assets, including those of its cardinal bank, that had been frozen oregon seized abroad.
An authoritative astatine the US Treasury estimated successful 2015 that unfrozen Iranian cardinal slope assets were worthy betwixt $100bn and $125bn - but did adhd that the full assets which Tehran could entree arsenic a effect of the sanctions alleviation would lone beryllium astir $50bn.
Economic sanctions were re-imposed connected Iran aft Trump scrapped the JCPOA and were progressively stepped up successful the pursuing years.
Reuters
Before the warfare began connected 28 February sanctions by the US and different countries had created utmost economical difficulties successful Iran.
The authorities of the system is considered to beryllium 1 of the causes of country-wide protests crossed Iran which were violently repressed by the authorities successful January.
The US besides placed sanctions connected Iranian lipid which made it hard for Tehran to merchantability its crude overseas - though it was capable to partially get circular them by utilizing a "shadow fleet" of tankers.
The caller MoU says the US volition "terminate each types of sanctions" against Iran successful an agreed-upon schedule.
But importantly it allows for the issuing of waivers instantly aft the signing of the woody allowing "the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives and each associated services including banking, transactions, insurances, transportation".
There are nary conditions upon Iran for this and it seemingly leaves it successful a overmuch amended presumption than astatine the commencement of the war.
The memorandum besides says the US on with "regional partners" volition make a plan, funded with "at slightest $300bn", for the "reconstruction and development" of Iran.
Before the caller struggle began ships carrying oil, earthy state and fertiliser had been capable to walk freely done the Strait of Hormuz for galore years.
In fact, the constrictive seaway was not mentioned astatine each successful the JCPOA.
Ship-tracking information published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows a regular mean of 94 merchant ships transited the strait successful 2025.
Reuters
Since the struggle began connected 28 February, the regular mean fig of transits collapsed to conscionable six, according to this data, though a fig person been crossing with their determination transmitters turned disconnected truthful the existent fig volition apt beryllium somewhat higher.
This illness was owed to a operation of Iranian attacks connected commercialized shipping that began soon aft the warfare started and a US blockade of Iranian ports.
The MoU states that the US volition "fully end" its naval blockade of Iran "within 30 days".
It besides states that Iran volition "make arrangements utilizing its champion efforts for the harmless transition of commercialized vessels with nary charge" done the Strait of Hormuz but adds that this volition beryllium "for 60 days only".
Thereafter it says Iran volition "conduct dialogue" with Oman "to specify the aboriginal medication and maritime services successful the Strait of Hormuz".
On 21 May Iran announced that it had unilaterally established a Persian Gulf Strait Authority to modulate shipping done the waterway.
And Iran's overseas ministry is reported to person said this week that, though determination volition not beryllium "transit tolls" for shipping, determination volition beryllium "fees" for utilizing the strait which volition beryllium "charged successful speech for the services that are provided".
The deal, and so the White House's commentary astir it, makes nary notation of taking enactment to halt Iran from charging these fees successful the aboriginal - which would beryllium a boost to Iran's economical powerfulness and power successful the portion comparative to the concern earlier the war.
English (US)·