Araghchi Outlines Broad Iran-U.S. Framework
12 June 2026 11:56 PM WANA News
WANA (Jun 12) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has announced that Tehran and Washington are in the final stages of concluding a 14-point memorandum of understanding that, according to him, would end hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, lift what he described as the maritime blockade against Iran, unlock frozen Iranian assets, launch an economic reconstruction program, and pave the way for final negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.
Speaking on state television on Friday, Araghchi said Iran had endured two major wars over the past year—a 12-day war and a subsequent 40-day conflict. According to him, after the first confrontation, Iran’s adversaries concluded that social cohesion was the country’s greatest strength and sought to undermine it before escalating the conflict.
He argued that those efforts ultimately failed, as Iran’s armed forces and public mounted what he described as a determined and resilient resistance.
The foreign minister claimed that perceptions of Iran among many Western officials had changed significantly following the conflict, saying foreign counterparts had expressed surprise at the country’s ability to withstand sustained military pressure.
Araghchi further asserted that Iran had faced what he called “the world’s most powerful state” alongside another military power equipped with advanced weaponry, including nuclear arms, and had succeeded in preventing them from achieving their objectives.
“This strategic victory,” he said, “must now be consolidated through diplomacy.”
Diplomacy as an Extension of the Battlefield
A significant portion of Araghchi’s remarks focused on the relationship between military operations and diplomacy.
He argued that there is no contradiction between the two and that diplomacy serves to transform battlefield achievements into internationally recognized rights and political gains.
According to Araghchi, Iran’s diplomatic corps maintained continuous coordination with military commanders throughout the conflict. He also described media institutions and public mobilization as additional pillars of Iran’s wartime strategy.
“The mission of diplomacy is to consolidate the achievements of the battlefield,” he said, arguing that successful negotiations are ultimately built upon military leverage.
Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf Led the Negotiating Effort
In one of the more notable revelations of the interview, Araghchi stated that responsibility for the negotiations had been entrusted to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with the Foreign Ministry and other relevant institutions supporting the process.
He said the result was a 14-point memorandum that has undergone more than two months of negotiations and repeated reviews by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and other decision-making bodies.
A Two-Stage Process
According to Araghchi, the current diplomatic framework consists of two phases.
The first phase involves signing the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States. The second phase would launch negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive final agreement.
He said the memorandum has been designed as a single package, with all 14 provisions interconnected rather than negotiated as separate concessions.
Araghchi added that the memorandum is expected to be signed digitally, with both sides signing remotely. He suggested that the signing could take place within days.
Nuclear Program and Sanctions Relief Deferred to Second Round
The foreign minister said negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program were postponed because the two sides remained too far apart on key issues.
As a result, both the nuclear file and sanctions relief have been deferred to the second stage of talks, which is expected to last 60 days and may be extended if progress is being made.
According to Araghchi, future negotiations will address uranium enrichment levels, the future structure of Iran’s nuclear program, the fate of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, and the lifting of sanctions.
He reiterated Tehran’s longstanding position that any disposition of highly enriched uranium—particularly uranium enriched to 60 percent purity—should be handled through dilution inside Iran rather than transfer abroad.
Araghchi also acknowledged that the nuclear issue remains Washington’s primary concern and will therefore become the central focus of the next round of negotiations.
End of Hostilities Across All Fronts, Including Lebanon
Araghchi said the document, referred to as the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” formally declares an end to hostilities across all theaters of conflict, including Lebanon.
He emphasized that Iran had not forgotten Lebanon during the war and claimed that Hezbollah had fought alongside Iran.
“We will never abandon our allies,” he said.
The foreign minister further alleged that Israel violated ceasefire arrangements on multiple occasions and that Iran responded accordingly.
He described those responses as another strategic achievement, arguing that Iran had, for the first time, initiated military action to punish a party that had violated its commitments.
According to Araghchi, the memorandum includes commitments by all parties not to initiate new conflicts and to refrain from the threat or use of force.
He also stated that ending the war would require Israel’s withdrawal from territories it occupies in Lebanon.
Mutual Recognition of Sovereignty
One of the most consequential claims made by Araghchi concerned the political provisions of the memorandum.
He said Iran and the United States would formally commit themselves to respecting each other’s sovereignty and refraining from interference in each other’s internal affairs.
According to Araghchi, this would mark the first time in 47 years that the United States has explicitly and formally recognized the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a written bilateral document.
Strait of Hormuz: A New Governance Framework
A major portion of the interview focused on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
Araghchi said Iran and Oman are close to announcing a new framework for managing navigation through the waterway.
He noted that extensive consultations had taken place with regional states as well as China, which he said accounts for roughly 40 percent of shipping traffic through the strait.
According to the foreign minister, Iran does not intend to impose transit tolls on vessels. However, it considers charging for services such as traffic management, maritime safety, search and rescue operations, and environmental protection to be legitimate.
He said a new legal framework governing the strait is being developed and that implementation details are expected to be finalized within the next 60 days.
Araghchi also described the Strait of Hormuz as one of Iran’s most important instruments of deterrence.
Maritime Blockade, Frozen Assets, and Reconstruction
Araghchi said the complete removal of what he called the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran constitutes the first provision of the memorandum.
He further stated that frozen Iranian assets would be released following the signing of the agreement and that none of those assets should be subject to renewed restrictions.
The foreign minister also disclosed the existence of an economic initiative known as the “Reconstruction Plan,” designed to address wartime damage and provide financial resources for Iran’s economic recovery and development.
He said details of the initiative would be negotiated during the second phase of talks, but suggested that significant financial resources would ultimately be directed toward Iran’s economy.
Guarantees and Differences from the JCPOA
Addressing concerns about a repeat of the experience surrounding the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Araghchi argued that the current process contains built-in safeguards.
He said implementation of the memorandum’s initial commitments would be a prerequisite for moving to the next phase of negotiations.
“If the memorandum is not implemented,” he said, “there will be no negotiations on the nuclear issue or sanctions relief.”
Araghchi added that if no final agreement can be reached at the end of the 60-day period, either side would be free to return to the status quo that existed before the memorandum was signed.
Warning Against Attempts to Derail the Deal
The foreign minister said Iran had faced threats over the past 72 hours and responded through official statements, direct and indirect diplomatic messages, and military signaling.
He argued that pressure and threats only complicate the path toward an agreement.
Araghchi also claimed that every attack against Iranian military personnel or Iranian shipping had received a response.
Finally, he warned that the emerging agreement faces determined opponents, identifying Israel as the leading adversary of the process.
According to Araghchi, those actors are seeking to create political and media pressure in an effort to prevent the agreement from being finalized.
He concluded by emphasizing that every provision of the memorandum has been reviewed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and scrutinized by the country’s security, military, and political institutions before reaching its current stage.
