From Nuclear Programme To Sanctions: What The US-Iran Peace Deal Leaves Unresolved
From Nuclear Programme To Sanctions: What The US-Iran Peace Deal Leaves Unresolved Published By, Last Updated: June 15, 2026, 08:14 IST The US President has
From Nuclear Programme To Sanctions: What The US-Iran Peace Deal Leaves Unresolved Published By, Last Updated: June 15, 2026, 08:14 IST The US President has announced a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but key issues remain unresolved. Rapid Read US President Donald Trump has announced a deal with Iran to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US naval blockade. The memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, but its full terms have not been released. While the framework provides for an end to military operations, the most difficult questions — Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, frozen funds and the future of fighting in Lebanon — have been deferred to further negotiations. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. Iran, however, has said it will not begin implementing the agreement until it is formally signed. A US official also told CNN that the blockade would be lifted only after Friday’s signing, despite Trump initially announcing its “immediate removal". What Has Been Agreed? Pakistan, which has served as a mediator, said the agreement provides for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations. “Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Iran’s Supreme Security Council also said military operations, including those in Lebanon, would end permanently from Monday night. The framework is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively shut for months, disrupting global shipments of oil, gas and related products such as fertiliser. The US had responded by blockading Iranian ports. The announcement brought immediate relief to markets. Brent crude futures fell around 4% in early trading on Monday, while US West Texas Intermediate dropped more than 4.6%. Asian stock markets also rose. But the initial pact largely deals with the immediate conflict. Broader negotiations on the issues at the heart of the war are expected to continue during a 60-day ceasefire period. What Will Happen To Iran’s Nuclear Programme? The current agreement does not settle the central issue behind the conflict: whether Iran will dismantle its nuclear programme and what will happen to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity. Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to around 90%, meaning Iran’s existing stockpile could be further enriched to that level in a relatively short technical process. Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is peaceful. However, it has not publicly agreed to give up the enriched uranium believed to be stored beneath three nuclear sites damaged in US strikes. The US and Iran are also offering different versions of what the final settlement would require. A US official told Reuters that the broader agreement would eventually dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme and require its highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed from the country. Vice President JD Vance said the agreement had the potential to “fundamentally transform the Middle East for the next 50 years" if Iran complied. He said it would ensure that Tehran “will never have a nuclear weapon", including by preventing it from “pursuing, procuring or trying to buy one". A senior Iranian official, however, said Tehran would be allowed to dilute the uranium inside Iran. Russia has also offered to take the stockpile, while Trump has previously said it should be destroyed. This leaves several questions unanswered. Will Iran surrender its enriched uranium or be allowed to keep it in diluted form? Will enrichment continue inside the country? And what inspection system will be put in place to verify Iran’s compliance? These issues are expected to be negotiated during the proposed 60-day talks. Britain, Germany, France and Italy have said sanctions relief should depend on “clear, verifiable steps" to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme. Any nuclear agreement could also face resistance in Washington. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said it would have to be submitted to Congress for review and a vote. Speaking to Fox News, Vance also said the Trump administration was still deciding who would attend Friday’s signing ceremony in Geneva. “I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there," he said. A 60-Day Window For Further Talks The memorandum is expected to open a 60-day negotiating period covering Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and other outstanding disputes.
The BriefWire