Media: What Iran agreement contains as Trump signals readiness to sign

A tentative U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) that President Donald Trump says could be signed in the coming days sets out a framework to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, including nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and regional de-escalation, according to diplomats and officials involved in the talks.

The draft agreement would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately without tolls, alongside a phased approach to sanctions relief for Iran tied to compliance, Axios reports.

In return, the deal envisions an extension of the ceasefire framework for 60 days, including in Lebanon, during which broader nuclear negotiations would take place.

A diplomat from one of the mediating countries said “the U.S. and Iran have agreed on the text of a deal,” while cautioning that it still required final political approval. A U.S. official also confirmed that both sides had made significant progress on the wording.

However, uncertainty remains over the final green light from Tehran’s leadership. As of Thursday evening, Iranian approval had reportedly been secured at senior levels but likely not from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, said Tehran had “not yet reached a final decision.”

President Donald Trump said he expected a signing ceremony over the weekend, though previous rounds of near-deals have collapsed at the last moment, leaving officials cautious about whether the current text will hold.

The framework also outlines early nuclear-related commitments from Iran, including assurances that it would not pursue a nuclear weapon and would address concerns over its enriched uranium stockpile. A senior U.S. official said one possible option under consideration would be down-blending highly enriched uranium inside Iran under supervision by UN inspectors.

The diplomat involved in the talks said the draft “goes into details on all the nuclear issues” and “satisfies all U.S. requirements.” However, officials stressed that any concrete action on Iran’s nuclear programme would depend on a second, more detailed agreement still to be negotiated.

On sanctions, the plan reportedly links relief to Iran’s compliance and what mediators describe as “good faith” implementation. The diplomat said, “no set date for sanctions relief and it will be tied to the implementation of the deal,” adding that easing measures could increase if commitments are met.

The proposal also addresses the issue of Iran’s frozen overseas assets, though details remain unresolved. Iranian officials have argued for immediate access to some funds upon signing, while the U.S. position favours staged disbursement.

Behind the scenes, Qatar and Pakistan have played central mediation roles. Negotiations reportedly intensified after hours of talks between Qatari mediator Ali Al-Thawadi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also involved in backchannel discussions.

The diplomat said, “We are working with the parties to put the final touches on the deal and set a date for the signing ceremony,” noting that logistical preparations were already under way, including possible arrangements for a ceremony in Geneva.

By Aghakazim Guliyev