Iran agrees to indefinite nuclear disarmament under US-brokered MOU, official says

By Park Hye-won, The Herald Business

Iran's indefinite renunciation of nuclear weapons has moved closer to reality under a memorandum of understanding being negotiated with the United States. Washington plans to provide economic rewards to Tehran in stages, tied to Iran's compliance with MOU terms that include keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and maintaining peace across the Middle East.

A senior Trump administration official told reporters in a briefing Friday that, if the MOU's tentative terms are carried out, Iran's nuclear program and facilities would be dismantled and its nuclear material destroyed and removed from the country.

The MOU stipulates that Iran's nuclear renunciation is indefinite, and that the United States will verify compliance and provide phased economic rewards — including the release of frozen funds and the lifting of sanctions — as Iran fulfills its commitments. "This leads to the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program," the official said. "There is a commitment to dismantling the nuclear program and decommissioning nuclear facilities."

The official added that the agreement "results in the United States obtaining enriched material," and that the MOU specifies the material will be destroyed on-site and removed from the country.

Once both sides sign the MOU, a 60-day technical negotiation will follow to work out "how to destroy and remove the enriched nuclear material," the official said.

Iran has committed to indefinitely refraining from acquiring or developing nuclear weapons, the official said. Civilian nuclear power generation, however, would not be subject to restrictions.

Inspections and verification will be conducted on the dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program and the disposal of nuclear material, the official said, adding that once satisfactory results are achieved, "they will then receive some of the benefits under the agreement."

"If they hand over the nuclear material as promised, they will get something. If they dismantle the nuclear program or facilities, they will get something else," the official said. "If they are truly committed to peace and stability in the region, they will receive additional benefits on top of that."

The official dismissed media reports that Iran would receive $12 billion in unfrozen funds, saying the MOU is a "performance-based deal" in which economic rewards are calibrated to the degree of Iran's compliance.

"I don't trust that Iran will comply with the agreement. What I do trust is that we have structured it so that the benefits will not be provided to them until they fulfill their obligations," the official said.

The official added that if Iran keeps its commitments, "we will certainly keep ours," and said the economic benefits for Iran include releasing frozen funds held abroad and lifting sanctions on oil sales and other trade.

The MOU also stipulates that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened immediately upon signing, at which point the United States will lift its maritime blockade against Iran.

The agreement is also expected to include provisions guaranteeing long-term peace across the Middle East — including with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon — which had emerged as a last-minute sticking point in the negotiations, the official said.

The official cautioned, however, that "this does not mean giving up the right to self-defense. If Iran does not fulfill its obligations — including the prohibition on funding terrorist organizations — one cannot expect Israel not to respond."

The official acknowledged opposition to the MOU among hardliners within Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but said it was clear that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had given his approval. Even so, the official put the probability of the MOU being concluded at "80 to 85 percent — not 100 percent."

If concluded, the MOU would represent a stronger agreement than the draft that had reportedly circulated between the two sides, the official said, attributing the tougher terms to Iran's weakened control over the Strait of Hormuz and to effective pressure from President Trump.

US forces conducted covert operations to move oil tankers carrying millions of barrels per day through the Strait of Hormuz, the official said, arguing that as a result, "our negotiating leverage has grown stronger, and Iran's has weakened."

"This agreement is designed not to be based on trust, but on concrete milestones, actions, and verification," the official said, adding that if Iran fails to honor the deal, "diplomatic and economic pressure — and perhaps other forms of pressure — will have to continue to be applied."