US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding set to officially expire

The US-Iran ceasefire framework is set to expire Monday with neither side signaling plans to extend it.

By World Israel News Staff

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran is scheduled to expire Monday, with no indication that either party is preparing to extend the agreement as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.

The MoU, signed in June, established the basic framework for a cessation of hostilities between the two countries. However, it failed to bring an end to the conflict, with both sides continuing to carry out limited attacks and accuse each other of violating the agreement.

A central component of the agreement was also supposed to be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the strategically vital maritime chokepoint through which a substantial portion of the world’s oil shipments traveled before the outbreak of the conflict.

Iran, however, has steadfastly refused to fully reopen the passage despite pledging to do so under the terms of the MoU. The continued restrictions on shipping have raised concerns about the broader impact of the conflict on global energy markets and international trade.

The approaching expiration of the agreement comes as Tehran appears increasingly reluctant to return to negotiations with Washington.

“We have not yet made a decision to restart negotiations with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media platform Telegram on Saturday.

An Iranian official also recently indicated that Tehran was not planning to resume negotiations with the Trump administration, instead stating that Iran would wait until President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029 before reconsidering its approach to Washington.

Barbara Slavin, a Distinguished Fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera that Tehran’s current strategy appeared to be focused in large part on punishing Washington for what Iranian officials consider as U.S. violations of the June agreement.

According to Slavin, Iran remains particularly angry that the United States did not lift all sanctions against the Islamic Republic or unfreeze all Iranian assets, as Tehran expected under the agreement.

“Iran is playing hardball here, clearly furious at the Trump administration for, in its view, not fulfilling the MoU signed back in June,” Slavin said.

Slavin also expressed skepticism that the United States would be able to achieve a decisive military victory that would permanently bring the conflict to an end.

Instead, she predicted that diplomacy would ultimately be required to resolve the confrontation.

The conflict will likely be resolved “through a deal, probably after our midterm elections, when there will be less of an impact on the vote,” she predicted.