Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi announced on June 16 that the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States will be formally signed and take effect this Friday (June 19) in Switzerland, with both countries immediately launching a new round of negotiations the same day to reach a final agreement.
On the same day, Swiss foreign affairs authorities and media outlets confirmed that the agreement will be signed at a luxury resort near Lucerne in central Switzerland.
Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance will attend the signing ceremony, after which each side will lead their respective teams into the next phase of negotiations.
Meanwhile, details of the agreement have gradually emerged. The memorandum includes a $300 billion private fund aimed at stimulating investment in Iran, with more than half of the amount already pledged.
According to reports, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, stated that regarding the unfreezing of frozen assets under the framework of the Iran-US memorandum, the formulation of relevant clauses has fully considered all past experiences and historical cases, and efforts have been made to ensure that the mechanisms set in the agreement provide the highest level of guarantees to ensure these funds can be smoothly accessed and utilized.
Additionally, after the signing of the memorandum between the US and Iran this week, Iran will be able to sell its oil and fuel. Sources say that sanctions related to Iran’s oil export industries, including banking, transportation, and insurance, will also be waived simultaneously.
President Donald Trump is attending the G7 summit in France. During the event, he stated that negotiations have entered the second phase, which is expected to be easier than the first. Although Trump repeatedly emphasized that the US will not provide financial support to Iran, it has been revealed that Iran will receive multiple economic incentives to facilitate the signing of the preliminary memorandum and the final agreement.
Trump also mentioned that a press conference will be held to officially release the text of the memorandum, which will be submitted to the US Congress for review. The text clearly stipulates that Iran will not possess nuclear weapons, which is the core bottom line; otherwise, it would face devastating strikes from the US, and the US will not provide any financial support to Iran.
It is reported that Iran will not allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel to enter its nuclear facilities for inspections during negotiations.
Another major uncertainty looms over the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Whenever the US and Iran get close to reaching an agreement, Israel’s sudden military actions tend to push Tehran away from the negotiating table.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once bet that joint action with the US would overthrow Iran’s clerical regime and help solidify his position ahead of Israel’s elections.But the reality is that the rift between him and Trump is deepening, as Israel insists on carrying out military operations in Lebanon.
An Israeli source revealed that Israel had requested the US to provide the text of the US-Iran memorandum for review, but the request was denied, because the Trump administration believed Netanyahu would leak the content before the memorandum was officially released.
Netanyahu held a press conference on the evening of June 15, barely mentioning the memorandum in his opening remarks. During the subsequent Q&A session, he stated that he and Trump do not always see eye to eye.
When Trump launched military action against Iran at the end of February, he already faced domestic skepticism in the US. On March 17, Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation, saying that out of conscience, he could not support the war in Iran. He believed that the Trump administration launched this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful lobbying groups.
Jews make up only2.4% of the USpopulation, but they hold significant positions in key areas like politics, economics, and foreign affairs. The US has long been Israel’s most core and largest “backer,” with total aid to Israel exceeding $300 billion to date. At the same time, the US positions Israel as a central pivot of its Middle East strategy to maintain influence in the region.
Israel has historically viewed Iran and its allies as existential threats and is committed to eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Prime Minister Netanyahu, over several terms, persistently lobbied successive US administrations to take military action against Iran, finally achieving this goal during Trump’s term.
Trump previously justified the operation by claiming that the latest intelligence indicated Iran was at its “most vulnerable” point in history, and that the situation would develop in a direction favorable to US interests. However, what was initially advertised as a quick operation eventually turned into a brutal war of attrition.
The US-Israel war against Iran did not achieve the expected outcome of regime change, but instead led to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy prices, and increasing domestic pressure in the US. US intelligence agencies believe that the Iranian regime has withstood the pressure and has become more hardline with the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, making regime change even less likely.
Due to growing fundamental differences in strategic approaches, the alliance between the US and Israeli leaders has shifted from a close bond to an open rift. Trump’s dissatisfaction with Netanyahu has reached a peak.
Trump stated on June 8 that he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that if the war with Iran continued, Israel might find itself isolated. He also reportedly berated Netanyahu during a phone call, calling him “crazy” and accusing him of ingratitude, claiming he had helped Netanyahu avoid prison in a corruption case. Israeli officials familiar with the call described the atmosphere as extremely tense, with Trump’s voice growing louder as he angrily demanded Netanyahu’s compliance.
