Iranian Elites Are Not in Agreement About What to Do Next
Key takeaways
- To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, our entire site is completely unlocked this week only.
- After an April cease-fire and nearly 70 days of indirect talks brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, Iran and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding ending their war.
- The hardest questions—the fate of Iran’s enrichment program, the scale of sanctions relief, the shape of any settlement—were deferred to that window, with Tehran insisting that implementation comes first.
Welcome to FP Free Week. To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, our entire site is completely unlocked this week only. Enjoy the article.
It is done—or rather, has begun. After an April cease-fire and nearly 70 days of indirect talks brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, Iran and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding ending their war.
This month in Switzerland, the two sides held their first round of talks under the MOU, emerging with a road map to a final agreement within 60 days; working groups on nuclear enrichment, sanctions, and implementation; and new channels to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and the Lebanon cease-fire intact. The hardest questions—the fate of Iran’s enrichment program, the scale of sanctions relief, the shape of any settlement—were deferred to that window, with Tehran insisting that implementation comes first. The blockade is lifted, and Hormuz has reopened; in the days following the news, the Iranian rial gained more than 15 percent against the dollar.