US and Iran outline terms of preliminary memorandum to end war

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Iran, with Pakistan acting as mediator, have set out the broad terms of a preliminary understanding aimed at ending the war, according to statements by officials from both sides.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed to an immediate and permanent end to all military operations. All parties have stated that the memorandum of understanding will be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the memorandum would then be made public.

Ceasefire and implementation timeline

Both Tehran and Washington said the Strait of Hormuz would begin reopening and the US blockade on Iranian ports would start to be lifted as soon as the memorandum is signed. The more difficult disputes, especially Iran’s nuclear programme and US sanctions, would be taken up in negotiations over the following 60 days.

Sharif said the immediate and permanent halt in military operations would also cover Lebanon. The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said military operations, including in Lebanon, would stop permanently on Monday night. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israeli attacks on Lebanon must cease completely and said the United States was responsible for implementing the framework agreement.

Strait of Hormuz and port restrictions

US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on Friday and that he had ordered the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports. A senior Iranian official said the waterway would reopen for all commercial shipping once the memorandum is signed.

In a separate detail from Iran, Fars news agency said maritime traffic through the Strait would be managed by Iran in coordination with Oman under the memorandum.

Nuclear programme and inspections

Both sides said Iran had agreed that it would neither make nor obtain nuclear weapons, a commitment Tehran has repeated for decades. The senior Iranian official said that until a final deal is reached, Iran would suspend nuclear activity by avoiding further uranium enrichment and not expanding nuclear facilities.

The same official said the United States had agreed that, under a future comprehensive settlement, Iran could dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium داخل Iran. Trump said on Saturday there was no urgency to remove Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material and said the US would retrieve it later when the situation had stabilised.

Trump also said any detailed arrangement would include a strong inspections regime for Iran, though he did not provide further specifics. US Senator Lindsey Graham said any final agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme would need to be reviewed and approved by Congress.

Sanctions, assets and reconstruction

The senior Iranian official said Washington had agreed not to impose any new sanctions on Iran until a final agreement is reached. The official also said the US would waive oil sanctions on Iran for a specified period and that, after a final deal, US and UN sanctions would be lifted according to a mutually agreed timetable.

The same Iranian official said the US had also agreed to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets through direct cash transfers, cooperation among regional countries and financial credit lines. The official added that Washington, working with regional allies, would prepare a reconstruction and development plan for Iran to be negotiated with Tehran within 60 days.

Trump, however, said Iran would not receive cash, while adding that sanctions could potentially be lifted.

On the Israeli side, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in security zones captured in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made that position clear to Trump.