The peace deal has been finalized, so says US Vice-President D.G. Vance. Speaking to the media this week, Vance confirmed that the US and Iran have finalized the peace deal. He clarified that on Monday, the 15th, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
President Trump and Vance signed the MOU on US’s behalf, while Iran’s House Speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf signed on Iran’s behalf. The signing took place electronically.
The signing of the peace deal, according to Vance, will take place on June 19th 2026. That formal ceremony will take place in Geneva, and will be witnessed by representatives from both the US and Iran.
Three senior people will represent the US as signatories, one of them being Vice-President Vance. Another will be Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and US’ Special Envoy for peace. The third one will be Steve Witkoff, US’ Special Envoy to the Middle East.
What are the Key Features of the US-Iran Peace Deal?
The immediate tangible benefits of the peace deal seem to be two. One is Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and the other the US lifting Iran port blockade.
On Iran’s nuclear program, the US cannot claim to have achieved anything verifiable. Instead, the two countries will enter a 2-month negotiation period. During this time, they hope to agree on how to move forward regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
What Critics Think about the Deal
Critics do not see any gains the US has made from the war with Iran. And going by the said peace deal, Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz just reinstates the position before the US invasion.
Even the US lifting the Iran ports’ blockade just leaves them free as they were before the US attack.
Trump always said that Iran must destroy or hand over its uranium stockpiles as a precondition for a peace deal. Yet Iran always said it would not do it. Iran has kept its promise since it has not agreed to release its nuclear material.
Apparently, Iran has not changed anything the US and Israel criticized as they launched the war. Hence, it seems that Trump’s deal is not any better than the one President Obama made with Iran.
The difference is that Obama obtained the deal diplomatically, while Trump has spent taxpayer’s money on the war.
Moreover, the US-Iran war has caused immense destruction in the Gulf countries allied to the US. It has even cost them human life.
One may wonder if D.G. Vance genuinely believes the peace deal is meaningful. During their Presidential campaign, both Trump and Vance expressed their opposition to foreign wars.
In the early weeks of the US and Israel attacking Iran, Vance remained noticeably quiet, as Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, made headlines.
It is possible that Vance just wants to see the US out of Iran, irrespective of what Iran agrees upon in writing.