Trump's Iran MOU was a stalling tactic, documents show — SkimNews
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- President Trump signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran on June 17, which hawkish Republican senators initially opposed before being briefed and changing their votes.
- The Trump administration immediately undermined the MOU by announcing a separate trilateral deal to disarm Hezbollah and downplaying commitments to unfreeze Iranian assets.
- U.S. officials directed commercial ships to use a new Omani transit corridor outside Iran's control just one day after signing the MOU, with Vice President JD Vance stating the deal was meant to 'refill the world's oil economy' and preserve U.S. 'optionality'.
- Iran attacked the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely on June 25, warning that unilateral routes were unacceptable, prompting CENTCOM to retaliate with strikes that violated the MOU's ceasefire clause.
- The U.S. and Iran engaged in escalating retaliatory strikes in early July, with the U.S. launching 170 strikes over two days, after which Trump declared the MOU 'over' and CENTCOM reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
Why it matters: The apparent use of a diplomatic agreement as a stalling tactic to gain military advantage has backfired, eroding any trust with Tehran and leaving the U.S. facing accelerating Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the risk of a major new round of war.
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