Draft MOU Reveals Iranian Victory? Terms Heavily Favor Tehran

[Anchor]

With the signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran just two days away, the draft of the agreement has been made public. It appears that Iran's demands, including the guarantee of its sovereignty and the lifting of sanctions, have been largely accepted. Conversely, discussions regarding nuclear issues, which the U.S. had emphasized, have been deferred to final negotiations, leading to assessments that Iran has achieved a diplomatic victory.

Our first report is from Kim Young-a.

[Reporter]

Bloomberg reported today (June 17) that the U.S. has begun circulating the draft of the ceasefire MOU to its allies at the G7 summit, and disclosed its contents.

The first article of the 14-point agreement stipulates that the war will end on all fronts, including Lebanon, simultaneously with the signing of the MOU.

Article 2 states that Iran and the U.S. will respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will not interfere in each other's internal affairs.

This could serve as a justification for Iran to assert its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, potentially providing a pretext to impose fees under the guise of providing services in the future.

[Abbas Araghchi / Iranian Foreign Minister (June 12): "I believe this is the first time the other side has shown a respectful attitude toward negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran."]

The U.S. has also made significant concessions regarding sanctions against Iran and the issue of frozen assets.

Through follow-up negotiations, the U.S. has promised to lift all sanctions against Iran, including primary and secondary sanctions, as well as those related to UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions.

Furthermore, it was agreed that the remaining negotiations, including those on nuclear issues, would only begin once the release of frozen assets commences.

On the other hand, nuclear-related content is limited to a single clause—Article 8—out of the 14. Even this is merely a declarative statement that "Iran reaffirms it will not manufacture nuclear weapons." The U.S.-emphasized requirements, such as the disposal of enriched uranium, are not directly mentioned, instead summarized with the vague phrasing that "all nuclear-related matters shall be appropriately addressed in future final negotiations."

[Baek Seung-hoon / Research Fellow, Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies: "Everything Iran wanted has been included, and there is no mention of anything regarding Iran's nuclear program. It seems Iran will be able to tell its people that it has won."]

Seemingly conscious of this situation, U.S. President Trump has once again unleashed verbal threats toward Iran.

[Trump / U.S. President: "Iran will not have nuclear weapons. If they do, they will face a catastrophe like hell."]

While the possibility of further revisions remains before the signing ceremony on the 19th, the disclosure of this MOU draft is intensifying backlash not only within the United States but also from Israel.

(Video Editing: Park Chun-bae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.