Even if the United States and Iran sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war, Iran will continue to hold control over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Tasnim News reported on the 24th local time. The claim is that while ship traffic will return to prewar levels, authority over managing the strait will not be fully restored.
Tasnim News said it obtained a draft of the provisional agreement under discussion between the United States and Iran, adding, "If both sides agree to the clauses, the MOU will be announced."
The outlet also directly refuted Western media reports. Tasnim News said, "Western media are reporting that if a provisional agreement is reached, conditions in the Strait of Hormuz will return to the prewar state within 30 days, but that is not true," adding, "What will return to prewar levels within 30 days is the number of ships passing through the strait."
It also emphasized that Iran's control over the strait would be maintained. Tasnim News said, "Iran has made it clear that it will exercise sovereignty over this strait in various ways," adding that specifics will be announced later. However, it did not mention the Strait of Hormuz "toll" issue that Iran previously raised.
The lifting of the U.S. naval blockade was also presented as a key condition for implementing the agreement. The outlet said, "The U.S. naval blockade must be fully lifted within 30 days," adding, "Otherwise, there will be no change in the situation in the Strait of Hormuz." It continued, "Changes related to passage through the strait depend on whether the United States fulfills its other obligations stipulated in the MOU."
It is interpreted to mean that if the United States does not keep its conditions, Iran could reimpose a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Tasnim News said, "There are signs that Iran and the United States may sign an MOU, but Iran is also preparing at this stage for the possibility that talks will fail," adding, "Regardless of the state of negotiations, Iran's military is always in full readiness."
The provisional agreement is also said to include a clause to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Tasnim News reported that Israel, under this clause, must also stop its attacks on Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Iran has demanded "an end to the war on all fronts" as a precondition for resuming peace talks. The outlet said, "After ending the war on all fronts, 30 days will be given to implement measures related to the naval blockade and the Strait of Hormuz, and at the same time a 60-day period will be set to negotiate the nuclear issue."
It also reaffirmed the position that the nuclear issue will be discussed separately after the end of the war. Tasnim News said, "At this stage, Iran has not accepted any measures related to the nuclear field." Core issues such as diluting or shipping abroad 60% enriched uranium and restricting uranium enrichment will be put on the negotiating table after the end of the war. It reflects Iran's principle of "end the war first, negotiate the nuclear issue later."
The provisional agreement is also said to include a provision for the United States to suspend sanctions on Iran's oil and petrochemical exports during the negotiation period. Tasnim News reported that as a first step in implementing the agreement, a plan to release part of Iran's overseas frozen funds was also included.
Citing sources, the outlet reported, "In recent weeks, the United States sought to link the release of frozen funds to a future agreement on nuclear negotiations, but Iran stuck to the position that at least some of the frozen funds must be released immediately after the announcement of the provisional agreement."
It added, "It emphasized that if the United States again blocks the release of frozen funds, Iran will reconsider future negotiations."