War of words over Iran deal – victory cries from both sides

TT

Updated 10.08 | Published 01.32

            

            

           Ships in the Strait of Hormuz, photographed last week.

           1 / 2Photo: Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP/TT

Both Iran and the US are claiming victory after a memorandum of understanding that is intended to lead to an end to the Iran war was reached.

A formal signing ceremony will be held on Friday and a “real” peace agreement will then be negotiated within 60 days. This is what is known about the deal:

Iran's nuclear program

When the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, it was justified by the fact that the country was close to acquiring nuclear weapons. How this should be prevented will be worked out in detailed talks during the 60-day period, according to the White House.

The countries present different views on what should happen to Iran's highly enriched uranium - and on what any restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program should look like.

The return of inspectors from the UN atomic energy agency IAEA to Iran is part of the agreement, US Vice President JD Vance told NBC News.

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An open Strait of Hormuz

The shipping route, which is so important for global oil trade, has been blocked in rounds by both Iran and the US during the war, which has caused energy prices to skyrocket. But by Friday at the latest, the strait will open "fully", after some mines have been cleared, US President Donald Trump claims on social media.

However, there seems to be divided opinion on whether Iran will be allowed to charge a fee for passing ships. According to Vance, the passage will be "free of charge" in the long term, but Iran's Foreign Ministry claims that Tehran will be allowed to charge a maritime "service fee", according to AFP.

European countries, led by France and Britain, say they are ready to secure shipping in the strait through a maritime operation.

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Lifting sanctions and reconstruction

There are reports that Iran will gain access to a reconstruction fund worth $300 billion under the agreement, something that Iran's Revolutionary Guard, among others, claims. A US official links this to the lifting of international sanctions against Iran and the release of certain frozen assets, but it is unclear which ones are being referred to, according to media reports.

President Trump dismisses the reports that the US will provide the money as "fake news", but Vance confirms that the fund could become a reality if Iran follows through on its part of the agreement, according to The Hill. In such cases, the package could be financed by countries around the Persian Gulf, according to the vice president.

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Peace in Lebanon?

The agreement also includes a halt to fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Shia militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, which was a demand from Iran. But this passage is said to be vaguely worded and Israeli attacks have continued.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon must end under the agreement, saying it is the “most important issue” of the deal.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that forces will remain in the neighboring country “as long as necessary.” The Haaretz newspaper writes that Israel interprets the agreement as meaning that its actions in Lebanon are not limited.