The infamous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran, which President Trump ceremoniously signed at the Palace of Versailles in June, is now a major sticking point between the two nations in negotiating a lasting peace accord. Iran says there can be no deal unless both parties return to the June MOU. Trump says that the MOU is dead and buried. He’s now hoping to strangle the Mullahs and IRGC economically.
Trump sounded like the quintessential dove when he signed the document, but within days, Iran started exerting military control over passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. responded with strikes on Iranian targets responsible for the Hormuz assaults. After numerous threats by Trump to destroy Iranian infrastructure if they didn’t surrender, the president was persuaded by Middle Eastern allies to back off and let talks resume.
That’s where we stand now, with Treasury Secretary Bessent announcing new (unspecified) Iranian sanctions this past Monday.
Iran now emphatically claims there can be no talks or solutions unless the U.S. returns to the MOU. That document opened the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days while talks continued. The lifting of economic sanctions and the return of Iranian assets were also part of the deal, though the two sides disagreed on when and how.
The MOU was negotiated by Vice-President JD Vance and his team. In retrospect, it appears that either Vance didn’t fully explain the details to Trump, or Trump only heard what he wanted to hear. It didn’t take the president long to proclaim the deal was dead. Dove morphed into Hawk.
“If the United States stops obstructing and returns to the memorandum of understanding, we can open the Strait of Hormuz within the framework of the agreement reached,” Revolutionary Guard spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said on Iranian TV.
Trump says he has no desire to return to the MOU. He’s evidently in a waiting pattern hoping economic pressures will sway the nation’s leaders or bring about a popular uprising. The problem is that, even if the nation’s civilian leaders want to cut a deal, the IRGC has the final say, and they ain’t budgin’.
