In extraordinary remarks, Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles programme and the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
In this analysis piece, Andrew Roth notes how the US entered the war with maximalist goals but exits it with a pragmatic decision to end conflict despite the political cost. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “The agreement is a record of US failure. People will see it and judge.”
How have US Republicans reacted to the deal? Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, appeared to soften his view of the deal after a “very lengthy and productive” conversation with the the US special envoy Steve Witkoff. But his fellow senator Ted Cruz, who has backed the war, said: “History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal.” And Senator Bill Cassidy declared: “Reagan is rolling over in his grave.”
Julia Jester, MS NOW - The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran — named the Islamabad MOU for the mediator’s host country — is vaguely written and intentionally so, given its clear purpose as a negotiation agenda catering to each side’s domestic audience.
But the agreement’s text, read aloud Wednesday by a senior U.S. official on a call with reporters, provides a preview of the precarious path ahead for U.S. and Iranian negotiators, who have only two months after the MOU’s signing to secure a final deal to forever end Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The MOU, as laid out to reporters, reveals some significant wins for Iran that are likely to raise eyebrows in the U.S., especially among members of Congress, including U.S. support for a $300 billion reconstruction fund and no restrictions on Iran’s missile program.
The focus of the MOU is on economic measures, from ensuring the free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to providing Iran with economic incentives for good behavior. Only two of the document’s 14 points mention the country’s nuclear program at all, with the rest revealing concessions the U.S. made to the country that President Donald Trump said have been “largely demolished.” Read the full article here.
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