A senior White House official said Wednesday that major parts of the reported US-Iran understanding had been misread in Iranian and Israeli media. He said the agreement is first and foremost meant to reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately, require Iran to destroy the “nuclear dust,” and create a system that rewards improved Iranian behavior with economic relief. “When you hear the wording of the agreement, it will be clear that it obligates us to almost nothing,” he said, adding that the US wants to encourage Tehran if it “does many good things.”
The published draft says the United States, Iran and their allies in the current war would immediately and permanently stop military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and would not threaten or use force against one another. It also says both sides will respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and avoid interference in internal affairs. The two countries are to negotiate a final deal within 60 days, with possible extension by mutual consent.
Under the draft, the US would begin lifting the naval blockade and other disruptions against Iran immediately, ending the blockade completely within 30 days. Maritime traffic would gradually return to prewar levels, and US forces would withdraw from areas near Iran within 30 days after the final agreement. Iran would allow safe, fee-free commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, and trade would resume at once. Tehran would also open talks with Oman and Gulf states on future administration and services in the strait.
The US also pledges to work with regional partners on a reconstruction and development plan for Iran worth at least $300 billion, with the mechanism to be defined in the final accord. Sanctions would be lifted on an agreed timetable, the Treasury would issue permits for Iranian oil and petroleum exports, and frozen Iranian funds and assets would be released once the deal is implemented. Iran would reaffirm that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons, and both sides would resolve the issue of existing enriched material, with the minimum solution being downblending under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. Until the final deal, Iran would maintain the current nuclear status quo, while the US would impose no new sanctions or additional regional deployments. A monitoring mechanism would oversee implementation, and the final agreement would be anchored in a binding UN Security Council resolution.
