The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding on Tehran's nuclear program, with Iran agreeing to destroy its enriched uranium stockpile, a senior U.S. official says.
The agreement is not final. The MOU has been signed, but either side can walk away until a binding deal is in place, the official says.
Iran is agreeing, at a minimum, to destroy its enriched uranium stockpile, and is outlining how that will be done. Ahead of the signing, Iran is also halting efforts to disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the official.
If a final deal is reached and Iran complies, the U.S. will permit sanctions relief, the official says. The administration will take steps to build trust and try to reach an agreement, with the sequencing of the agreed-upon steps expected to be a major focus of upcoming talks.
A meeting this weekend in Switzerland will be "critical" in determining how the negotiations advance, the official says. The funding of Iran's proxies will be taken up after the nuclear issue is addressed.
The U.S. has maintained constant contact with Israel throughout the process, the official adds, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not requested a copy of the MOU. If no deal is reached, President Donald Trump "is not afraid to use the tools at his disposal."
