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While the new MoU text, as read out by the White House to the BBC and other media organisations, states that Iran “reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons” there is little detail about the issue in the document.<\/p>\n
There is similar language in the JCPOA, which stated “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons”.<\/p>\n
The new MoU also says the two parties “agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment” and to “resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon” – again, suggesting this will be included in forthcoming negotiations.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks Trump has said that Iran’s remaining nuclear material will be removed from the country.<\/p>\n
US officials briefed that the deal “sets a minimum standard where\u2026 the enriched stockpile will be destroyed”. But the MoU actually makes no mention of this happening.<\/p>\n
It is important to bear in mind that the JCPOA was a final, detailed, agreement negotiated over two years while the MoU is framework for 60 days of talks about a nuclear agreement so the two are not directly comparable.<\/p>\n
As well as tackling Iran’s nuclear weapons programme, Trump said on 2 March, shortly after the start of the conflict, the US was “destroying Iran’s missile capabilities\u2026 and their capacity to produce brand new ones”.<\/p>\n
But the MoU text makes no mention of Iran’s ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n
And Trump said on 17 June that it would be “unfair” for Iran not to have these missiles given other countries in the region have them.<\/p>\n
In 2018, when he scrapped the JCPOA, Trump complained: “Not only does the deal fail to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but it also fails to address the regime’s development of ballistic missiles that could deliver nuclear warheads.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n