Trump Iran deal grants immediate oil sanctions relief, delays nuke terms

The Trump administration’s new framework with Iran grants Tehran immediate relief from oil sanctions while deferring the most important nuclear issues to future negotiations. It’s a gamble that officials admit carries risks because they think Iran won’t comply.

“We came in with the full expectation that they would lie and cheat,” a senior U.S. official said in a call with reporters Wednesday, arguing that any final agreement would require a verification and enforcement mechanism that could detect violations.

The agreement, which envisages a 60-day negotiation period, is based on the claim that Iran can be deterred from violating its commitments through monitoring and enforcement. While administration officials have said sanctions waivers could be revoked if Iran fails to comply, critics argue the United States is giving up influence before the toughest nuclear issues are resolved.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED THE GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE PROPOSED IRAN DEAL

The memorandum of understanding, released on a call from administration officials to reporters Wednesday, says the Treasury Department will immediately issue exemptions allowing Iran to export crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, as well as access related banking, insurance and transportation services.

But the deal does not require Iran to immediately halt its nuclear program, surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium or cease enrichment. Instead, the agreement states that the United States and Iran will negotiate the “disposition” of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, with down-blending on site under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is determined as the minimum methodology.

Administration officials argued that the language was a premature nuclear concession and said the United States continues to press for more.

“Of course this is a flaw and we will strive for more than that. But their acceptance of this is a huge win for the United States,” a senior US official said during the meeting. “They say we will destroy enriched stocks, and this is the least we will do.”

Down-blending will reduce the enrichment level of the material but will not remove it from Iran.

Trump defended the framework as necessary to prevent a protracted conflict, closed shipping lanes and market shock.

“If we hadn’t made this deal, we could have been dropping more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, two years,” Trump said at the G7 summit in Evian, France, on Wednesday. “You could never open the Strait of Hormuz… Instead of rising, your market would sink to levels no one had ever seen before, except perhaps in 1929.”

Trump defended the framework as necessary to prevent a protracted conflict, closed shipping lanes and market shock. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

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“I didn’t want to see economic disaster,” Trump added.

The framework received support from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a leading Iran hawk, who said after speaking with special envoy Steve Witkoff that he thought the 60-day agreement would be “beneficial.”

“Whether the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable agreement with Iran on its nuclear program and other issues remains to be determined, but I don’t see much downside to trying,” Graham said.

Others criticized the deal for proposing sanctions relief before Iran reaches a concrete deal on the nuclear front.

“Having given up all your influence, how do you expect Iran to agree to anything in the future, let alone within 60 days?” Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish National Security Institute of America, told Fox News Digital:

Broader sanctions relief, a withdrawal of U.S. forces and a $300 billion reconstruction fund are also considered part of the final deal if both sides reach an agreement within 60 days.

Others criticized the deal for proposing sanctions relief before Iran reaches a concrete deal on the nuclear front. (Photo by IIPA via Getty Images)

Opponents of the war now argue that this agreement is the best deal the United States could achieve after the conflict and blockade.

“The United States’ bargaining position was damaged by the war, not helped,” Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities, told Fox News Digital.

Kelanic said Trump is now “buying Iran off to return to something approaching the pre-war status quo” by offering immediate waivers from sanctions and unfreezing assets tied to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

He argued that immediate waivers were the price Trump had to pay to convince Iran he was serious about diplomacy after launching an attack during negotiations.

“That looks like serious money, right?” Kelanic said: “This is like a down payment that he really means business. It’s a costly signal that Trump is forcing himself to give by breaking off negotiations and bombing Iran in the middle of negotiations.”

Iran framed the memorandum as a test of Washington’s readiness to act first, rather than simply providing reassurances.

“Unfortunately, it must be admitted that Iran’s deep distrust of the United States stems from mistakes made by American leaders for a long time,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference on Monday. he said. “The United States still has a long way to go to gain the trust of the Iranian people.”

The memorandum expects important issues such as basic nuclear mechanisms as well as ballistic missile production and proxy financing to be resolved during the 60-day period.

“What we have in this agreement already shows that if an agreement is reached on the nuclear issue within 60 days, this agreement will be weaker than the JCPOA,” Misztal said, referring to the Obama-era nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. he said.

Under the JCPOA, Iran was required to sharply reduce its uranium stockpile, including removing excess material from the country. Misztal said the new agreement’s minimum blending standard at the site shows that Iranian uranium can remain in Iran.

“This means, first of all, that no uranium will leave Iran under the JCPOA,” he said.

The agreement also guarantees free commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, while Iran, Oman and Gulf countries are discussing a longer-term framework for governance and maritime services in the waterway.

Behnam Taleblu, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned that the provision raises concerns that Iran could gain a role in regulating a critical international waterway after demonstrating its ability to disrupt global shipping.

“So I want to not only collect tolls, but also regulate the vital international waterway,” Taleblu said. “There can be no doubt that the Strait of Hormuz should be open and open to everyone, not just Iran and those with whom Iran plus its friends can put pressure on others.”

“If there is no guarantee of freedom of navigation, the Islamic Republic will weaken the resolve of the Gulf countries and essentially try to put its weight back on this strait.”

The agreement also calls for the United States and regional partners to develop a reconstruction and economic development plan for Iran worth at least $300 billion. U.S. officials have emphasized that the provision does not require American taxpayer money, but critics have said any infusion of funding could free up the regime’s resources for other priorities.

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“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Chinese money or American money. [United Arab Emirates] “The more access they have, the less they will have to compete for resources and the more they will be able to fund what they want to fund,” Taleblu said.

If negotiations fail within 60 days, Trump has discussed resuming military pressure. “If we think they’re dragging us along and bullying us, then we’ll be very quick to pull the plug,” a senior administration official said.