What needs to be agreed to end the Iran war?
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the framework focused on an end to the war and a US naval blockade in exchange for Tehran taking steps to ensure safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz.
AT WHAT STAGE ARE THE DISCUSSIONS?
The two sides have been at odds over thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Israel’s war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Tehran’s demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets.
Both sides say they are making progress on a memorandum of understanding that would stop the war and give negotiators 60 days to reach a final agreement.
Senior Iranian diplomat Hossein Nooshabadi told the ISNA news agency on Monday that the possible framework agreement includes an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the release of blocked Iranian assets, the lifting of the US naval blockade and opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the withdrawal of US forces from the Iranian environment and the freedom to sell Iranian oil.
Nooshabadi said Iran’s initial draft agreement did not include any commitments on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz “in principle” in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade and disposing of Tehran’s highly enriched uranium, a senior official from US President Donald Trump’s administration said on condition of anonymity.
Baghaei said the potential initial agreement did not include specific details regarding the management of Hormuz. Nooshabadi said the management of the strait is an Iran-Oman issue discussed with Oman.
HOW CAN A DEAL BE FORWARDED?
If Iran’s Supreme National Security Council approves the memorandum of understanding, the document will be sent to the country’s religious leader for final approval.
The senior US official said the US understands that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the broad template of the agreement.
Baghaei and Nooshabadi said that if the first phase of the agreement progresses, the nuclear issue can be reviewed and negotiated within a 60-day period.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has talked about engaging in “a very real, important and time-limited negotiation on the nuclear issue” for 60 days.
The last agreement on the nuclear program, made in 2015 and canceled by US President Donald Trump in 2018, was the result of years of negotiations between large teams of technical experts.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES?
HORUZ AND GULF BLOCK – Tehran retains control over Hormuz, and Washington sees the blockade of Iranian ports as its main trump card.
NUCLEAR – The USA believes that Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb. Iran has always denied this, saying its atomic program was for peaceful purposes only. The focus is on enriching uranium, which produces fuel for nuclear power but can also produce materials for warheads. An agreement with a long moratorium on enrichment and the export or dilution of stocks may eventually be possible.
BALLISTIC MISSILES – The main demand of the USA before the war was that Iran limit the range of its ballistic missiles so that they could not reach Israel. Iran has always refused to discuss ballistic missiles, saying conventional weapons rights cannot be on the table and that it still has a large arsenal.
SANCTIONS AND FROZEN ASSETS – Iran’s economy has been hurt by sanctions for years, contributing to nationwide unrest in January. Tehran desperately needs their removal and the release of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks. He also wants compensation for war damage.
