Donald Trump calls it the end of the war, and Iranʼs leaders call it their victory. The document on which both statements are based is still classified.
The war in the Middle East has been going on for more than three months. The US and Iran have repeatedly agreed, with Pakistan as their mediator, to cease fire and discuss a peace plan. However, the truce has almost immediately collapsed: the sides have exchanged a series of air strikes and blamed each other for it.
On June 12, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the United States and Iran had agreed on a memorandum of understanding that would be a first step toward peace. It was called the “Islamabad Declaration” to emphasize that Pakistan was the main mediator in these negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that an agreement had “never been so close”. And his deputy Kazem Garibabadi made it clear that Tehran viewed it as a victory.
Pakistanʼs Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (left) hands over a document related to a proposed peace deal between Iran and the United States to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, June 7, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
The US President Donald Trump was in a hurry to sign the document on his birthday, June 14. The Iranian side refused to do it synchronously. These negotiations coincided with the start of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, where the American president was heading.
This year, France specifically adjusted the dates of the meeting to the schedule of the head of the White House to avoid last yearʼs scenario — then Trump left the summit in Canada early because the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated in the Middle East.
In honor of Trumpʼs 80th birthday, the UFC Freedom Fights 250 mixed martial arts tournament was held at the White House. In the photo, Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White, June 14, 2026. Donald Trump during the G7 leadersʼ meeting in France with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, June 16, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
The leaders of Iran and the United States signed the memorandum on June 15 in electronic format, and the official ceremony is scheduled for June 19 in Geneva. At that time, they are to publish the text of the document and, according to Trump, fully open the Strait of Hormuz.
Here are the points that, according to Reuters, could be included in this document:
- The parties will immediately and permanently cease hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
- The Strait of Hormuz will be fully opened to all merchant ships.
- Iran will not produce or acquire nuclear weapons.
- Until the leaders reach a final agreement, Iran will not enrich uranium or expand nuclear facilities.
- Until the countries sign the final agreement, the US promises not to impose new sanctions against Iran.
- Washington will unblock $25 billion — these are Iranian assets that the US had previously frozen.
- The US and the Gulf countries should prepare a plan and finance Iranʼs reconstruction for at least $300 billion.
The money that is planned to be allocated for the reconstruction of Iran has caused controversy. Tehran initially demanded $400 billion from the United States in compensation for war damages.
However, Washington refused, and then the parties came up with another mechanism. Instead of compensation, a $300 billion Reconstruction and Development Fund will be created.
This is not money from the American budget, but a private investment fund that will be financed by companies from the United States, the Persian Gulf countries, Asia, Africa, and South America. If Iran agrees to the terms of the agreement, the country will get a chance to attract investments in energy, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation. If the agreement collapses, there will be no fund.
Aftermath of the shelling of Tehran. A woman searches for surviving belongings in the ruins of her home in the Beryanak district, March 15, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
"But for me, youʼd be in jail": Donald Trump ignored Israelʼs interests in negotiations — and that makes everything more complicated
Israel did not participate in the US-Iran negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel does not agree with the terms of the US-Iranian agreement regarding Lebanon and will continue to fight against Hezbollah terrorists. Most members of the government supported his course.
At the same time, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed striking only on Lebanese territory, and not on Iranian territory. He believes that this will help to pretend that Israel is not undermining US President Donald Trumpʼs diplomacy, but at the same time Israel will retain freedom of action against Hezbollah.
Israel later asked the US for access to the text of the memorandum with Iran, but was denied. The Trump administration allegedly feared that Benjamin Netanyahu would release details before the official presentation, an Israeli source told CNN.
Israel calls the point of the Lebanon agreement its “red line”. The country wants to maintain the ability to strike Hezbollah targets to protect settlements in the north of the country and prevent the group from regrouping near the border.
A concrete wall on the border between Israel (right) and Lebanon, May 29, 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commemorates fallen Israeli soldiers at the Mount Herzl military cemetery, April 21, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
Earlier, it was Netanyahu who pushed Trump to start a war against Iran. However, Tehran outwitted its opponents and linked Israel’s military actions against the Hezbollah group in Lebanon to the broader conflict in the Persian Gulf. This irritated the American president, as it prevented the United States from quickly withdrawing from the war.
In early June, when Netanyahu was planning large-scale strikes on Beirut, Trump called the Israeli prime minister “crazy” during a telephone conversation.
“But for me, you would be in jail. I’m saving your ass. Now everyone hates you. Everyone hates Israel because of this,” Trump allegedly said at the time, according to informed sources Axios.
The memorandum between the US and Iran requires the parties to cease fire throughout the region, including Lebanon. Trump is negotiating as if he can guarantee peace on his own without the help of Jerusalem.
When Israel recorded that Hezbollah had again fired on its territory on June 14, the American president refused to put pressure on Tehran.
Instead, Trump called on Israel to calm down: “Israel has the right to defend itself, but the attack it responded to was very minor and senseless, no one was hurt, no one was injured or killed. [...] This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — letʼs not spoil it!”
The aftermath of Israeli airstrikes near the village of Kfar Tibnit in southern Lebanon, June 14, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
The regime in Iran has not only survived, but has begun to dictate its terms: it still controls the Strait of Hormuz and protects its own nuclear program.
The US and Israeli forces have inflicted serious damage on Iran, but bombing and destroying infrastructure alone do not guarantee victory. Trump began this war with the promise of overthrowing the Iranian regime, but three months later the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is still in power.
The regime in Tehran has not only survived, but has also inflicted pain on several Gulf states as punishment for their support for the White House’s war.
The Commander of the IRGCʼs Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi (center left) shakes hands with Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Habibollah Sayyari (center right), May 24, 2026. Military advisor to the Iranian leader Mohsen Rezaei arrives for a ceremony at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran, June 4, 2026.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
After the parties signed the memorandum, ships began to pass through the Strait of Hormuz again. But Iran had previously allowed passage there to those it considered necessary.
In his holiday address, Donald Trump said that he personally allows the Strait of Hormuz to be opened completely free of charge. The US intelligence assessment proved that Iran can block and open the strait at will. It has already done so.
Trump also reported that the US Navy would stop blocking Iranian ports. The president does have the authority to give such orders to the US Navy, but this decision means only one thing: America takes its ships and leaves, while Iran remains and completely controls the region.
«Babel'»
Iran agreed not to build or acquire nuclear weapons and to limit its nuclear development when it signed the memorandum with the United States. But while negotiations continue for two months, Tehran will continue to hold onto its uranium stockpile.
It currently has about 440 kilograms, which it has enriched to 60 percent purity. The IAEA head Rafael Grossi estimates that if Tehran enriches it to 90 percent, that would be enough to produce more than 10 nuclear warheads.
The White House demands that Iran hand over all of its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States or destroy it on site. However, the authors of the memorandum never spelled out this condition, and Tehran insists that it will keep the uranium and only reduce its concentration.
At the same time, the Iranians are actively mining the entrances to uranium storage facilities. Delegations from both countries plan to discuss these contentious issues over the next 60 days.
Donald Trump says he is ready to resume hostilities if Iran does not cooperate. But Tehran doubts that the head of the White House will want to do this on the eve of the midterm elections in the United States. Given that Americans do not support the war.
According to a poll conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos, 61% of Americans believe that the war against Iran was a mistake, and only 36% of respondents called it the right decision.