US official details proposed 14-point Iran ceasefire memo

A senior United States official has described a 14-point memorandum that the Trump administration says would end the US-Israel war with Iran, Al Jazeera reported. The account matters because, if confirmed and signed, it would halt fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and start a short negotiating period on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

According to Al Jazeera, neither Washington nor Tehran has published a copy of the memorandum. Iranian officials have not confirmed the version described by the US official, who read the text to reporters.

The official said the document has already been signed electronically by the United States and Iran, Al Jazeera reported. A formal signing ceremony is planned for Friday, but the official said either side could still withdraw before then.

Under the US account, the memorandum would immediately end military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and commit the parties and their allies not to start military action against each other. The text also says the United States and Iran would respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and avoid interference in each other’s domestic affairs, according to the official.

The memorandum would launch negotiations on a final agreement, with a 60-day deadline that could be extended by mutual consent, Al Jazeera reported. Those talks would cover Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, frozen Iranian assets, the future operation of the Strait of Hormuz and a US-backed reconstruction and development plan.

The US official said the United States would begin removing its naval blockade as soon as the memorandum is signed and fully end it within 30 days. The same account says Washington would pull its forces away from the area near Iran within 30 days after a final deal.

Iran, under the US version, would work to allow commercial vessels to pass safely and without charge between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for 60 days. Maritime traffic would resume immediately, while technical and military obstacles, including demining, would be addressed within 30 days, according to the official.

The memorandum also calls for talks with Oman and other Gulf states over the future administration and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.

On economic measures, the US official said Washington and regional partners would develop a reconstruction and economic development package for Iran worth at least $300bn. The memorandum would also require the United States to issue the licences, waivers and permissions needed for related financial transactions.

The US account says Washington would work toward ending UN, International Atomic Energy Agency-related and unilateral US sanctions under an agreed schedule in the final deal. Immediately after signing, the US Treasury would issue waivers for Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, as well as related banking, insurance and transport services.

The memorandum also addresses Iranian assets, according to Al Jazeera. The US official said Washington would make frozen Iranian funds and assets available for use, with procedures to be agreed during negotiations and licences issued as needed.

On nuclear issues, the US account says Iran would reaffirm that it will not obtain or develop nuclear weapons. The sides would agree on a mechanism for enriched material, with on-site downblending under IAEA supervision as the minimum method, and would discuss enrichment and other nuclear needs in the final deal.

Until a final agreement, Iran would maintain the current status of its nuclear programme, while the United States would refrain from imposing new sanctions or sending additional forces to the region, according to the official. The memorandum also calls for a monitoring mechanism and says any final deal would be backed by a binding UN Security Council resolution.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.