Trump Admin Officials Explain How Tentative Iran Deal Would Actually Work

Senior Trump administration officials tried to pitch their Memorandum of Understanding with Iran during a briefing call with reporters.

The MOU was signed between the United States and Iran on Sunday, but the text of the document had yet to be released. Senior Trump administration officials read the text to reporters during a briefing call on Wednesday, offering commentary on the different elements, explaining why they thought the temporary deal would work.

The Daily Caller was on the background briefing. Such calls are typically done to explain policy decisions before they go public. Administration officials are granted anonymity so they can speak freely.

“The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and property of Lebanon,” the beginning of the MOU reads. “The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon and other provisions of this paragraph.” 

One senior administration official provided an explanation for paragraphs four and five, which state that a final deal will be negotiated within 60 days and the naval blockade will fully end within 30 days. The MOU states that “the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal.” (RELATED: Neocons, Iran Hawks Highly Skeptical And Critical As Trump Pushes To End War)

“What we’re saying is that after 30 days, or within 30 days after the final deal, meaning assuming we get to the final deal, we may not, but assuming we get to the final deal, then we will return our force posture in the region to that which existed before the conflict started,” one senior Trump administration official told reporters.

The next paragraph notes that the “Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.” Traffic of commercial vessels will start immediately, the MOU states, as Iran removes any mines and threats in the Strait. 

“Note that it says the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge. It says that Iran will work not just with Oman but with the Gulf states to set up a broader agreement, a longer term agreement on the Strait of Hormuz,” one senior administration official explained. 

“I’m sure the Iranians will assert their rights as aggressively as they can, but fundamentally toll-free passage of the Straits of Hormuz for 60 days, and that will continue because the Persian Gulf states will never agree to an arrangement that doesn’t permit toll-free access to the Strait of Hormuz for themselves and their industries,” the official continued, adding that they’ve seen Iran already begin peace efforts before the deal was signed. 

Paragraph seven notes: “The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least USD 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of a final deal within 60 days; all required licenses, waivers, and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.”

The same senior administration official noted that this paragraph was one of the more controversial ones, but clarified that the MOU never requires America to pay a cent to Iran or its reconstruction fund. The official continued to explain that if Iran behaves, and for example, the Emiratis decide to build a power plant in Iran, the United States will permit the investment. 

The MOU also states that Iran will not develop or obtain a nuclear weapon. The two countries are set to discuss what this will look like, including the topic of enrichment, and the following details will be plugged into the MOU. The MOU also states that the two countries agreed to the “disposition of stockpile enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon” in accordance with the schedule previously mentioned. 

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a family photo during the G7 Summit on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein-Pool/Getty Images)

The MOU “sets a minimum standard, where at a minimum the enriched stockpile will be destroyed by down blending,” the Trump administration official said, noting that this was hopefully the “floor” of the deal. 

“We are saying the sanctions relief and the nuclear issues are connected, and to the extent that you perform on the nuclear questions, you will get the sanctions relief,” the official also clarified of the MOU. 

“What we were doing with the sanctions on Iranian oil is that we were actually giving China a massive discount on the purchases of petroleum, regardless of whether we had had ethnic fury, regardless of whether we lift a single other sanction, the President, United States, and the entire team agreed that it’s absurd to sanction Iranian oil in such a way that they are still allowed to sell that oil. We just give China a big fat discount, we stop that process, and of course it’s part of the broader agreement,” the official said. 

A signing deal is expected on Friday; the vice president and other members of the president’s negotiating team are expected to attend.

“What Iran wanted was restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Anah. Upon the signing of the MOU, what was eventually conceded is that they wouldn’t get any money unless they perform good behavior, even though, of course, it’s their own money, just in frozen assets, which is why we structured it the way that they do. If they implement the MOU, they then get access to some of their frozen assets,” the official concluded.