President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance staunchly defended the recently signed U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding on Thursday, insisting the deal will be better for regional security even as critics say it rewards Tehran.
Speaking at the White House press briefing in place of press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who’s on maternity leave, Mr. Vance confirmed that the agreement allows for the toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the ending of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports.
“We don’t ever want this to happen again,” Mr. Vance said. “That’s not about tolling; that’s about ensuring that the straits are never used as a choke point for the global economy ever again.”
He added that at least 12.5 million barrels of oil have passed through the waterway since the agreement was signed this week and that Iran had not fired on any ships traveling through the strait in two days.
Brent crude oil prices fell to about $78 a barrel on Thursday, the lowest since the start of the war, and WTI crude fell to about $75 per barrel.
The U.S. instituted the blockade on Iranian ports in April in retaliation for Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, which it had maintained since early March.
U.S. stocks continued to climb on Thursday as well, with the Nasdaq rising 1.5% in afternoon trading and the S&P 500 moving up 1%.
U.S. Central Command on Thursday said “all U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased” in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf in accordance with Mr. Trump’s direction. But, CENTCOM said, U.S. naval ships will remain in the area to ensure that all aspects of the MOU are “adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”
The U.S. and Iran electronically signed the agreement on Wednesday after agreeing to the terms over the weekend. The MOU allows for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the U.S. and Iran will begin negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief, among other issues.
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that he approved of the MOU despite serious reservations. In a statement attributed to him carried by state-affiliated media, he said Iran would enter negotiations with strength and would not agree to any “excessive demands” made by Washington.
The clearing of the strait and the removal of the naval blockade will let Iran continue exporting its oil.
Also, the U.S. Treasury Department will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, which were previously under sanctions.
Critics of the deal say the waivers will provide Iran with an economic lifeboat just as the U.S. sanctions and blockade were taking effect.
Mr. Vance argued Iran’s economy is still in “free fall” and that the agreement ensures that stability will return to the global economy.
When asked by The Washington Times about reports that Iran is beginning to funnel oil profits to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, Mr. Vance said Tehran’s continued support for its terror proxies is precisely the reason the agreement was needed in the first place.
“It’s interesting that people will say the MOU is bad because the MOU produces consequences that were actually happening well before the MOU was signed,” he said. “That’s not a reflection of the MOU; that’s a reflection of why we need the MoU to ensure we have the regional peace and stability we need.”
Reports this week indicated that Iran is looking to use renewed oil revenue to bolster Hezbollah’s financial and political situation inside Lebanon following the signing of the U.S.-Iran MOU.
But Mr. Vance and other U.S. officials have insisted that Iran will not receive any substantial sanctions relief unless it changes its behavior.
“It’s going to be a holistic approach where we look at their behavior: Are they funding terrorism, are they leading to attacks on other people, are they trying to get centrifuges to redevelop their nuclear weapons program?” Mr. Vance said.
The MOU with Iran states that both parties will negotiate possible primary and secondary sanctions relief during a 60-day negotiating period, which Mr. Vance said began Thursday.
The full text of the agreement was released on Wednesday, and the White House submitted the document to Congress on Thursday.
Lawmakers wasted no time criticizing Mr. Trump’s deal, with Republicans and Democrats expressing disappointment and alarm.
Many lawmakers felt that the U.S. was giving up its most important piece of leverage by agreeing to end its naval blockade and letting Iran continue selling oil.
“Starting next week, Iran will be able to sell oil without sanctions, and the strait is permanently under their control,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat. “It’s a national embarrassment, but I guess it’s the price we have to pay to end this incompetent war that was getting more disastrous every day.”
There was also concern on Capitol Hill about the provision in the MOU stating that Iran will receive $300 billion for reconstruction and economic development.
“It’s not going to be used for constructive, useful purposes,” Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said.
U.S. officials, including Mr. Trump, have said that American taxpayers will not foot the bill for the construction fund and that much of the money will come from regional partners in the Middle East.
“There is no 300 Billion Dollar payment to Iran by the U.S. That’s Fake News! All there is for the U.S. is Success, Lower Oil Prices, and Victory. Check out the Stock Market. Dumocrat propaganda at play!!!” Mr. Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.
Criticism of the deal is also coming from Israel, where officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration have denounced the agreement and Mr. Trump’s decision to end the war.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the deal “does not bind” Israel and that his country should not support any deal “that does not ensure our security.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed those comments, saying the deal is bad for “the entire free world” and encouraging Israel to defy the agreement.
Members of the opposition, including former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, say the deal’s terms mean Israel lost the war with Iran and are a clear reason for the Israeli public to oust Netanyahu’s government in upcoming elections.
Mr. Vance hit back at Israeli critics of the deal, saying that anyone who thinks that Mr. Trump is their biggest problem “needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that the country is in.”
The vice president added, “My message to them is Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”
The comments follow several days of uncharacteristically critical comments about Mr. Netanyahu from Mr. Trump.
Speaking to the press at the Group of Seven summit in France this week, Mr. Trump said the Israeli military needs to show more restraint in Lebanon and that Israel should accept the MOU’s terms.
Still, Mr. Trump said Thursday that he had a “good relationship” with Mr. Netanyahu and is ready to meet with him soon.
Much of Israel’s opposition to the deal centers on the agreement’s provision for a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israeli troops are still occupying a large swath of the southern part of the country.
The Israeli military on Thursday released a map of the “security zone” it created in southern Lebanon and said its forces would remain there to deter further attacks on Israelis. The zone stretches from Israel’s northern border about 6 miles into Lebanese territory.
Israeli strikes have eased since the announcement of the U.S.-Iran agreement, but have not halted altogether. Israeli drone strikes killed at least two people in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit on Thursday, according to the state-affiliated National News Agency.
Mr. Trump urged all parties in the Middle East to adhere to the ceasefire while negotiations play out over the next 60 days.
“We encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” Trump added in a social media post.
• Kerry Picket contributed to this story.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.