Israeli defense analysts published the full text of the memorandum of understanding to be signed Friday between the U.S. and Iran. The 14-point framework does not explicitly demand an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon but includes a clause affirming Lebanon's territorial integrity, which analysts say creates significant diplomatic pressure on Israel. The document grants Iran joint governance with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, forbids the U.S. from interfering with unfrozen funds — tens of billions — and defers uranium enrichment issues to a final agreement that allows on-site dilution rather than surrender of enriched material.
The full text of the memorandum of understanding to be signed Friday between the U.S. and Iran was published late Wednesday by Israeli defense analysts Doron Kadosh and Moria Asraf. The 14-article framework does not explicitly require an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon but includes a general affirmation of Lebanon's territorial integrity. Kadosh and Asraf assess this will generate significant U.S. diplomatic pressure on Israel, particularly after Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz reaffirmed this week that Israel intends to maintain security zones along borders including Lebanon. The analysis also identifies a clause granting Iran joint control with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz — described as a clause of surrender — and allows a mutual extension of the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal, which analysts say enables Iranian stalling.
Earlier Wednesday evening, the text first emerged through Saudi Al-Arabiya (19:58 Jerusalem) as an unverified leak, followed by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid's publication of a draft at 19:58 Jerusalem; The Zioneer independently corroborated the report at the same hour. By 19:58 Jerusalem, the White House had released its own version of the 14-point text. The thread across multiple versions shows initial uncertainty about a full IDF withdrawal clause, which was clarified over the evening: the published text omits an explicit withdrawal demand but includes a territorial integrity clause for Lebanon. The analysts' publication late Wednesday enriches the sequence with granular detail on financing and nuclear terms.
As The Zioneer reported previously, Israeli officials had warned of a security crisis as the framework emerged. The document provides no restriction on how Iran may use unfrozen funds — estimated at tens of billions — and the uranium enrichment clause allows on-site IAEA-supervised dilution rather than removal of material. This article was also a focus of coverage, along with earlier reports that Tehran's version of the framework demanded total exclusion of its missile program and proxies.
Several points remain open: the absence of explicit IDF withdrawal language leaves room for interpretation regarding U.S. pressure tactics; the lack of verified details on how the fund and Hormuz governance provisions will function; and the absence of public Israeli government confirmation or rejection of the full text as clarified Wednesday night.
9 developments
- StrongIranian Mehr News Agency publishes second confirmed leak of 14-article draft US-Iran MOU
- DevelopingUS official: MOU covers 'the entire region, including Lebanon,' confident Israel will join
- DevelopingReport: IDF withdrawal timeline and critical Iran clause behind US-Iran MoU
- DevelopingNo official confirmation released on reported US-Iran deal terms for Lebanon
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