US-Iran peace deal: Key ways Trump’s Iran MOU differs from Obama’s JCPOA | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump signed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Versailles, France on Wednesday (local time) while attending a dinner for Group of Seven (G7) leaders hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The memorandum of understanding, originally announced on June 14, has now set a 60-day period for negotiations toward a final deal on the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program, nearly eight years after Trump pulled out of the Obama-era nuclear deal, which he deemed “disastrous” and “one-sided.”
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According to the Trump administration, the latest memorandum of understanding is superior to the Obama administration’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The US president claimed the memorandum of understanding would do much more to prevent the Islamic Republic from having a nuclear weapon, CBS News reported.
Quick answers to key questions
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Trump’s MOU is not a final deal like the JCPOA; it contains a 14-point framework that will guide negotiations on a permanent nuclear deal, rather than providing detailed specifications of Iran’s nuclear activities.
The memorandum does not specify the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium and lacks clear terms of JCPOA sanctions relief and a sunset clause, instead setting a 60-day period for negotiations to finalize those details.
Trump has emphasized that ensuring the military option remains on the table is essential to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, contrasting the JCPOA’s approach of not enforcing such a stance.
The MOU reiterates that Iran will not procure or develop nuclear weapons, but is less specific than the JCPOA regarding enforcement mechanisms and Iran’s obligations.
The memorandum of understanding includes provisions for economic development in Iran, with the U.S. and allies developing a recovery plan, but details regarding financing remain voluntary and undefined as negotiations continue.
In addition, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, insisted that it would differ from the JCPOA because Washington is “making sure that there is a military option,” which Trump emphasized.
As Trump signs the Iran deal, the question remains of how the two deals differ.
Here’s a breakdown of what changed in the latest MOU compared to the Obama-era deal
1. The Memorandum of Understanding is not yet a final agreement like the JCPOA, which was hundreds of pages long and packed with technical details. Instead, the new deal has a 14-point framework that extends the ceasefire in the US-Iran war and paves the way for negotiations on a permanent nuclear deal.
The latest memorandum of understanding does not specify what will happen to the Islamic Republic’s enriched uranium or its nuclear program; however, these details are likely to be established within the next 60 days.
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2. While both agreements prohibit Tehran from acquiring or producing nuclear weapons, the JCPOA specified this more clearly. Trump said at a press conference on Wednesday that he wants to make sure the Islamic Republic can never “acquire” a nuclear weapon, in addition to being unable to develop one.
According to the latest memorandum of understanding, Iran “reaffirms that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” However, it remains unclear how exactly this will be enforced. The JCPOA, on the other hand, included a commitment by Tehran, reading: “Iran reaffirms that Iran will never seek, develop or acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances.”
3. Former President Barack Obama’s administration did not mandate Iran to destroy all of its enriched uranium, but required it to significantly reduce its stockpile at a time when the amount of highly enriched uranium it possessed was substantially lower than current levels. Under the JCPOA, the Iranian government agreed to limit the level of uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent for 15 years, which was well below the 90 percent level needed to produce nuclear weapons.
In addition, the JCPOA mandated Tehran to limit all of its enrichment to a single facility at Natanz. The latest memorandum of understanding, on the other hand, states that the mechanics of handling the country’s uranium will be decided within the next 60 days. It remains unclear whether, under the final deal, Tehran will be required to destroy or remove the enriched uranium from the ground, or simply downgrade it.
4. While the JCPOA had 10- and 15-year sunset clauses, a provision in the treaty that automatically expires on a predetermined date if not renewed, the new MOU does not yet contain any clauses. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the final agreement will include sunset clauses.
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5. Regarding sanctions relief, under the JCPOA, Tehran was granted immunity from international sanctions in exchange for agreeing to curb its nuclear program. The lifting of sanctions was phased in and depended on verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, according to the memorandum, Washington’s sanctions will be lifted according to an agreed schedule as part of the final deal.
6. The Iran MOU clearly states that the United States and its regional allies “will develop a definitive mutually agreed upon plan of at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” However, Trump argued that any investment in the country would be voluntary. Conversely, it did not include financing for economic development.
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7. Under the JCPOA, the Obama administration did not restrict Iran’s conventional military, including its supply of ballistic missiles. While the new memorandum of understanding does not even mention ballistic missiles, the Republican president said on Wednesday that it was “OK” for Tehran to have ballistic missiles in proportion to the stockpiles of neighboring countries.
He said: “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair that they don’t have one,” adding: “A ballistic missile is not the same thing we’re talking about when we talk about nuclear power. But if Saudi Arabia and Qatar and everybody have one, I would say in relative terms, I think it’s fine. That’s what I mean.”
