WASHINGTON, June 17– U.S. government officials on Wednesday released the full 14-point text of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran, which is expected to be formally signed on Friday in Switzerland, according to media reports.
After days of secrecy, senior U.S. officials disclosed the draft document reached over the weekend to journalists on condition of anonymity, The Associated Press reported.
According to an MoU text published by CNN, the United States and Iran agree to “declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts” and to “refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.”
The two sides also pledge to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and negotiate a final agreement within 60 days.
Under the MoU text on the CNN website, the United States will immediately begin lifting its naval blockade and gradually ease sanctions and restrictions on Iran after the agreement is signed, while Iran reaffirms that it “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.”
Washington also commits to working with regional partners on a reconstruction and economic development plan for Iran worth at least 300 billion U.S. dollars.
Pending a final deal, both sides agree to maintain the status quo and avoid escalatory measures, with Iran keeping its nuclear program untouched and the United States agreeing not to “impose any new sanctions nor deploy additional forces in the region,” according to the draft document.
The final point of the MOU states that the final agreement will be endorsed through a binding United Nations Security Council resolution, according to the text published by CNN.
The United States and Iran electronically signed the MoU on Monday and are scheduled to formally sign it at a resort on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne on Friday.
The document may be signed by the presidents of both countries, Iran’s state-run IRIB news agency reported Wednesday, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
