Potential MoU to focus on ending war: Baghaei
Baghaei says a possible Iran-US MoU would focus on ending hostilities, not the nuclear file, and no signing date is set yet.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says any potential understanding with the United States is meant to halt the fighting first, with the nuclear issue left for later. Baghaei framed the process as cautious, reciprocal, and shaped by mistrust of Washington.
Iran says it may make a first-step agreement with the US, but only to stop the fighting for now. It’s like agreeing to put down the fire before arguing about who owns the house keys.
Analysis
What Baghaei said
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said any possible memorandum of understanding with the United States would be centered on ending the war, not on settling the nuclear dispute right away. He said people should wait for the exact time of signing and rejected reports that a ceremony would happen in Geneva or Islamabad in the next two days.
A narrow first step
According to Baghaei, the document under discussion is not a final bilateral treaty. He described it as an initial understanding that lays out a broad framework for disputed issues and the terms for stopping the conflict. He said the nuclear file is expected to come later, within a subsequent 60-day period, so detailed nuclear talks are not part of this stage.
What is being discussed
Baghaei said the immediate priority is a cessation of hostilities across several fronts, including Lebanon. He also said the current talks include hostile actions against Iranian shipping and the status of the Strait of Hormuz. On the strait, he argued that under international law it lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman and that Iran’s actions there are tied to national security and sovereign rights.
Caution and reciprocity
The spokesperson stressed distrust of the U.S. side, citing what he called broken promises in earlier negotiations. He said the arrangement is built on reciprocity: if the other side does not carry out its obligations, Iran is allowed to take countermeasures. He also warned domestic media not to repeat what he called Western psychological warfare or unverified reports about an imminent final deal.
Key points
- Baghaei said a possible MoU with the United States would focus on ending the war.
- He said the nuclear issue is not part of this first-stage document and would come later.
- No final signing time has been confirmed, and reports of a near-term ceremony were dismissed.
- The talks reportedly also cover Iranian shipping and the Strait of Hormuz.
- Baghaei said any commitments would have to be reciprocal and enforceable.
If the talks stay on track, the two sides could lock in a temporary halt to hostilities and reduce pressure on shipping and the Strait of Hormuz. A limited first agreement could also create space for later talks on harder issues like the nuclear file.
The process could stall if the U.S. side is seen as failing to meet its commitments or if public reports outpace the actual talks. Because Baghaei stressed caution and mistrust, even a near-deal could still unravel before a signing happens.
