Iran Israel Updates Wed June 17

Senator Lindsey Graham now supports the deal: I just had a very lengthy and productive discussion with Steve Witkoff  about the state of play regarding Iran. After this discussion, it is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop. Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying. The economic stability that comes from opening up the Strait and the cessation of hostilities could create a pathway to peace well beyond the Iranian conflict.  The expansion of the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is President Trump’s and my ultimate goal.

- Full text of MOU released 

The full text of the MOU 14 points: Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran

The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have mutually agreed in good faith as follows:

1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and their allies in the current war, declare upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding an immediate and permanent cessation of military activity on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake not to initiate further war or any military action against each other, to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement shall confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, as well as the remaining provisions of this Article.

2. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other and to refrain from interference in the internal affairs of the other.

3. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days, with the possibility of extension by mutual consent.

4. Immediately upon the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, the United States of America shall begin to lift its naval blockade and any other interference or restrictions it has imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran. It shall complete the lifting of the blockade within 30 days. During this period, vessel traffic shall be gradually restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the volume that existed before the war. In addition, the United States undertakes to remove its forces from the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the signing of the Final Agreement.

5. Upon the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will work, using its best efforts, to arrange safe passage of commercial vessels, free of charge, for a period of 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of ​​Oman and vice versa. The movement of commercial vessels will resume immediately, and, taking into account the need to remove technical and military obstacles and carry out mine clearance by the Islamic Republic of Iran, full movement will be restored within 30 days.

6. The Islamic Republic of Iran will hold a dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman with a view to determining the future governance arrangements and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in consultation with the other States bordering the Persian Gulf and in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of the coastal States in the Strait of Hormuz.

7. The United States of America commits, together with its regional partners, to develop a final and agreed-upon plan of at least $300 billion for the economic rehabilitation and development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for implementing the plan will be agreed upon as part of the final agreement within 60 days. The United States will grant all necessary licenses, exemptions, and permits to conduct the relevant financial transactions.

8. The United States of America undertakes to lift all types of sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran, including UN Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, in accordance with a timetable to be agreed upon in the final agreement. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America recognize the critical importance of sanctions relief and express their intention to discuss it promptly within the framework of negotiations, with a view to reaching a mutual agreement on the matter. 

9. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to resolve the issue of enriched material accumulated in the stockpile through a mechanism to be mutually agreed upon and in accordance with the timetable referred to in Article 7, with the minimum method being on-site dilution of the material. itself under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The two sides also agreed to discuss enrichment and other matters to be agreed upon between them related to the nuclear needs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on an agreed framework to be established in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this article. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran recognize the critical importance of the aforementioned nuclear issues and express their intention to discuss them promptly in the framework of negotiations, with a view to reaching a mutual agreement.

10. Until the final agreement is signed, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status of its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose new sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region.

11. The United States of America undertakes that, immediately upon the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding and until the sanctions are lifted, the United States Treasury Department will issue waivers to permit the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives, as well as all related services, including banking, insurance, transportation, and the like.

12. The United States of America undertakes to allow full use of funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran that have been frozen or restricted, upon the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will agree on procedures for the release of funds during negotiations. These funds, whether remaining in the original account or transferred to another account, will be fully available for payment to any final beneficiary determined by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and permits accordingly.

13. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an implementation mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding and the Parties’ compliance with the provisions of the Final Agreement in the future.

14. Following the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, and subject to the commencement and continued implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran shall enter into negotiations on the Final Agreement with respect to the remaining Articles only. A binding resolution of the United Nations Security Council shall approve the Final Agreement.

- Trump: “I told Bibi, the biggest danger to you is if a (nuclear) bomb is dropped in the center of Israel. So this is a good deal for you. I think they (Israel) are happy."… Iran's ballistic missiles that hit Israel and killed Israelis are fine with Trump.

- Amit Segal: Another evening of Trump’s crazy remarks:

1. After months of explaining why Iran must not have missiles, he now explains that as long as other countries have them, Iran should have them too.

2. He thinks that al-Shaara should deal with Hezbollah because, unlike Israel, he doesn’t topple buildings but handles things in a targeted manner.

- Trump: Iran is behaving appropriately. They agreed not to purchase or manufacture nuclear weapons.

- Trump: We just sent the MOU to Israel now; they are wonderful partners

- Trump: "If we didn't do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, two years."

- Trump: We did have a regime change in Iran, and we will continue talking about the proxy and the ballistic missiles at a later time

- Trump on Netanyahu: Bibi is a great guy, he gets emotional from time to time. We have a good partnership, but we have a dispute over Lebanon. I told him to be more delicate with Lebanon and not to bring down a building with a Hezbollah man inside. We have a good partnership, but he is a small part of the partnership, and we are the ones who decide.''

- Trump on Syrian President al-Sharaa: He would have been very happy to enter Lebanon and deal with Hezbollah, to enter precisely and capture Hezbollah and not just knock down buildings like that.

- Trump on Israel: “I think they can handle things better regarding Hezbollah. I'm not saying they shouldn't defend themselves. I'm saying that when two 'stupid' missiles are fired, fall in the desert and cause no damage, there is no need to bomb buildings in Beirut. They can handle things better. And honestly, they can do a better job against Hezbollah. I love them, they are great, but they can do a much better job regarding Hezbollah."

- Trump “I think it will be done, they want to sign.” President Trump announces he’s confident that Iran will formally agree to the latest peace deal that’s set to be adopted on Friday. “This is a memorandum of understanding, but it's a very strong one. This isn't just like a two paragraph- this is a long, you know, pretty detailed memorandum that goes into a regular contract. I would think they would do it. If they don't, then that's, you know, that's okay. We'll have to start the process again.”

- The US, Iran, and the mediating countries are discussing the possibility of advancing the signing of the memorandum of understanding to today

- Trump: I don’t want Israel to quit fighting Hezbollah, but I ‘want them to use good judgment’

- Five IDF soldiers were injured, including one seriously, by explosive drones launched by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon this morning, the army announces. Following the attack, the IDF carried out artillery shelling on Hezbollah infrastructure in the area

- Trump: The text is not final; it is just an MOU. If I don't like it, we will return to bombing

“If they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head.”

- Fox: The proposed framework reportedly includes reopening the Strait, ending the U.S. blockade, a 60-day negotiation period over Iran's uranium enrichment, sanctions relief, and a ceasefire agreement involving Israel and Hezbollah. President Trump says he plans to move against Iran's nuclear program on Tuesday, while pointing to the 60-day window for negotiations over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

- Trump: “The alternative to this deal was a global recession. There are stupid people who want to see a global recession. They are just stupid people. The Strait of Hormuz would never have been opened."

- Giyus: The commander of Bnei Brak’s police station was seen tearing the trousers of an ultra-Orthodox man as he drags him off the highway during a protest this morning. In footage of the incident, Ch. Supt. Yuval Shavit attempts to grab a protester sitting in front of a car on the highway and severely rips his pants. The officer then drags the man by his ankles to the side of the highway. Two other demonstrators with torn pants were seen being dragged by officers from off the highway. The demonstration, held against the arrests of Charedi draft dodgers, blocked traffic for over an hour near Bnei Brak at the height of rush hour. The protest ended with five arrests and several light injuries, with police using stun grenades and batons to clear demonstrators from the road.

- Iranian oil tankers have exited the zone in the Gulf blockaded by the US Navy, the TankerTrackers website says, calling it the country’s “first crude oil exports in two months

- Trump denies $300 billion Iran investment fund in deal, despite MOU pledging financing plan.

Trump says, “People can invest if they want. I mean, what am I going to do — say nobody’s ever allowed to invest? We’re not investing. We’re not putting up ten cents. People can decide to do that, but that’s up to them… We do not have a fund.”

- Two terrorists who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, one of whom also held hostages during the war, were killed in airstrikes over the weekend, the IDF announces.

 - A senior US official to NBC:  Since the MOU between Iran and the US was digitally signed on Sunday, Iran has launched several drones every night towards merchant ships. The drones were launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but US forces intercepted them.

- Bloomberg: This is the 14-point MOU between Iran and the US

1. Iran and the United States, together with their allies in the current war, declare upon signing this memorandum of understanding an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and undertake not to initiate any hostile action against each other from now on, nor to threaten or use force against each other. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this article and the remaining articles. 

2. Iran and the United States undertake to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs. 

3. Iran and the United States undertake to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum period of 60 days, which may be extended by mutual consent. 

4. Immediately upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding, the United States will lift the naval blockade and refrain from any interference or blockade against Iran, and restore traffic within 30 days to full levels; the United States also undertakes to withdraw its forces from the region within 30 days of the final agreement. 

5. Upon signing this Memorandum of Understanding, Iran will take immediate steps to ensure the resumption of merchant shipping traffic from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of ​​Oman and vice versa, within 30 days to pre-war levels, taking into account the need for the removal of technical obstacles and the neutralization of mines by Iran. 

6. The United States undertakes, together with its regional partners, to create an agreed comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation and economic development of Iran, with funding of at least $300 billion. The plan's implementation mechanism will be formulated within 60 days. 

7. The United States commits to ending, according to a timetable to be agreed upon in the final agreement, all types of sanctions against Iran, including resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and all unilateral U.S. sanctions. 

8. Iran reiterates that it will never produce nuclear weapons. Iran and the United States agreed that the fate of enriched material and all other nuclear issues would be addressed in the final agreement. 

9. Iran and the United States agree that until a final agreement is reached, the status quo will be maintained: Iran will maintain the status quo on its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose new sanctions or strengthen forces in the region. 

10. The United States undertakes that immediately after signing, the U.S. Treasury Department will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products, and related services (banking, insurance, transportation, etc.). 

11. The United States undertakes to release and make fully available frozen or restricted funds and assets of Iran, in accordance with the progress of negotiations. 

12. Iran and the United States agree to establish an implementation mechanism to monitor the implementation of the agreement. 

13. After signing and with commitments to implement Articles 4, 5, 10, and 11, the parties will enter into negotiations on the final agreement.

14. A binding resolution of the UN Security Council will approve the final agreement.