Iran has denied agreeing to give up any enriched uranium in a US ceasefire deal, stating it had not yet accepted any action on the nuclear issue, a source told Reuters on Sunday morning. The source added that the nuclear issue is not part of the preliminary agreement. The statement came after The New York Times published that Iran expressed a willingness to give up a certain amount of its stockpile.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - labeled the 'Islamabad Declaration' according to Al Arabiya - that both parties would sign would start a 60-day ceasefire extension, and would include the possibility of further talks and an extension during the two-month period. If the MOU is approved by Iran's supreme national council, it will be sent to Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval.
According to Al Arabiya, final negotiations regarding a peace deal will come only after both parties sign the MOU and agree to the 60-day ceasefire. One important element of the deal is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Axios, the current draft of the MOU specifies that the Strait would be open without tolls, and Iran would clear the mines it had deployed there.
In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and waive some sanctions it had imposed, allowing the country to sell oil freely. Issues relating to Iran's nuclear capabilities and enriched uranium stockpile would still be largely under negotiation, although the MOU would call for Iran to cease any pursuit of nuclear weapons. One US official told Axios that the deal might not last the full 60 days if the US believes that Iran is not serious about the nuclear negotiations. (Read More)
