TEHRAN — The United States and Iran remotely signed a memorandum of understanding on June 15, 2026. The agreement mandates total sanctions relief for Iran and the unfreezing of billions of dollars of Iranian funds held abroad. In exchange, Iran agreed to an immediate and permanent end to the war in Lebanon and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement also requires cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, an activity that the Iranian legislature suspended last year. The memorandum of understanding did not specify timelines for the lifting of sanctions or the exit of American forces from the region.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement announcing his conditional approval of the deal. Khamenei stated that he "had a different view" from what his negotiators agreed to, but acceded to the wishes of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He approved the deal on the condition that Iran rejects "excessive demands" made by the United States. Khamenei remarked that the nation "await[s] the realization of the aforementioned conditions."

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, stated, "everything we wanted to achieve through military action, we achieved many times over through negotiation." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in a June 12 interview on state television that Iran would have to make concessions in its dealings. Prior to the signing, President Donald Trump described total sanctions relief and the unfreezing of funds as "not acceptable."

In Iran, demonstrators attended nightly state-sponsored rallies in Tehran. Parliament members affiliated with the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability called for Araghchi to be barred from contacting Steve Witkoff, a Trump administration negotiator. Members of Parliament also demanded to see the deal before its signing. Mahmoud Nabavian, a Tehran representative in Parliament, criticized Araghchi for leaving gaps in the memorandum of understanding. The front page of Javan, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-aligned newspaper, depicted a crowd of Iranians breaking through a wall of threats made by the Trump administration. In the U.S., Fox News host Mark Levin and Texas Senator Ted Cruz both admonished President Trump for the agreement.