Reports continue to say the United States and Iran are nearing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war, but the two sides are offering conflicting interpretations of the terms. U.S. media said limits on Iran's nuclear program and opening the Strait of Hormuz were included in a draft, while Iranian outlets countered that the nuclear issue would be negotiated separately after the MOU is signed and that Iran would retain control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios reported on the 23rd (local time) that the MOU draft includes language that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons and will enter negotiations to halt its uranium enrichment program and dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The New York Times (NYT), citing multiple U.S. officials, also reported that the United States demanded the abandonment of highly enriched uranium as an initial condition for agreement and that Iran accepted it.
Iran's account differs. The hardline Fars News Agency reported on the 24th, citing a source familiar with talks with the United States, that "the provisional MOU between the United States and Iran does not include any Iranian commitments related to the nuclear issue." It said the nuclear issue has been deferred to 60 days of negotiations to follow the MOU signing.
Fars said Iran did not pledge to give up its stockpile of nuclear material, halt its nuclear facilities, or remove nuclear equipment. It also claimed the memorandum does not include language that Iran will not build an atomic bomb.
Tasnim News reported along the same lines. The outlet said that after ending the war on all fronts, 30 days would be given to implement measures related to the maritime blockade and the Strait of Hormuz, while a 60-day timetable would be set simultaneously for negotiations on the nuclear issue. It added, "At this stage, Iran has not accepted any measures related to the nuclear issue," and "there is not a single word on the nuclear issue in the memorandum draft."
Accounts also clash over the Strait of Hormuz. Axios reported that during the 60-day truce, the draft calls for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels without transit fees and to remove mines laid in the strait to guarantee freedom of navigation.
Iranian media, by contrast, argue that the "situation" in the strait will not return to what it was before the war, but only the "number" of transiting ships will be restored to prewar levels. Fars said, "Iran only said it would restore the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz to prewar levels; it did not mean the same free passage as before the war."
According to Fars, Iran will continue to manage route decisions for the Strait of Hormuz, transit times and methods, and the issuance of transit permits. Tasnim News also acknowledged the possibility of restoring traffic volume but said, "Iran is emphasizing that it will exercise sovereignty over this strait in various ways." It reported that specific details will be announced later.
One change is that Iranian outlets did not directly mention the "strait transit fee" issue they had previously raised. Iranian authorities, the military, and local media had hinted at the possibility of charging fees under the pretext of ensuring safe passage for ships, but this time they led with the broader phrase "maintaining control over the strait."
The timing of lifting the U.S. maritime blockade also differs between the two sides. Axios reported that if Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would, in return, lift the blockade. Iranian media countered that the U.S. maritime blockade must be fully lifted within 30 days after the MOU is signed. They argue it is not a price for opening the Strait of Hormuz but a measure both sides must carry out simultaneously.
Even the nature of the memorandum is interpreted differently. Axios reported that the MOU extends the truce for 60 days. During this period, Iran would work on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and removing mines, while the United States would lift the maritime blockade and some Iran-related sanctions.
Tasnim News disputed that. The outlet said, "Contrary to U.S. media reports, there is no phrase '60-day truce extension' in the memorandum," adding that "the term used is an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon."
If Iran's account is correct, procedures after the MOU signing would split into two tracks: issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. maritime blockade would be handled within 30 days, and the nuclear issue would be pushed to a separate 60-day negotiation. By contrast, if U.S. media reports are accurate, the MOU would be a document containing both an extension of the truce and an initial agreement on nuclear limits.
Both sides are talking up the possibility of an agreement, but some analysts say that unless differences over the nuclear issue and control of the Strait of Hormuz are bridged, the two could clash again while fine-tuning the final text.