Vance: Iran Will Get the Benefits Only If It Meets Its Obligations

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance spoke overnight Monday into Tuesday with media outlets in his country and addressed the agreement with Iran. In a conversation with NBC, Vance said that "inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be allowed to return to Iran במסגרת the agreement. One of the central parts of the agreement is that the IAEA and the U.S. will help Iran destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and that is an issue explained in a 'very clear' way in the memorandum of understanding."

According to Vance, the memorandum of understanding, which both sides agreed to as a framework for ending the war, will be published after an official signing ceremony to be held Friday in Switzerland. Vance explained that the reason the text has not yet been published is the need to close "technical details" related to implementation, not to the text itself.

He later said in an interview with Fox News that President Donald Trump may decide to release the agreement even before the official signing on Friday. The agreement has already been signed electronically by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran, and the vice president said that Qatar and Pakistan played a significant role in mediating between the sides.

Referring to Israel, Vance said that "the Trump administration believes Israel will join the agreement between the U.S. and Iran 'once we move a little further along the way.' We also have shared interests, but sometimes there will be disagreements between us on certain issues, and I think that is completely reasonable."

In another interview with CNN, Vance said the memorandum of understanding is a short and relatively general document — "about a page and a half" — intended to set out a basic framework, while the practical details will be discussed later during the technical negotiation stage. According to him, "the document states that Iran will receive the benefits promised to it only if it meets its obligations."

"Up to this moment, not even one dollar has been released from Iran's frozen assets, and no sanctions relief has been carried out by the United States or our partners in the Gulf. The extremists and some elements in Iran's political system are inflating Tehran's achievements from the agreement in order to persuade their public opinion, without mentioning the commitments Iran will have to take upon itself in order to receive those benefits."

The American vice president emphasized that if the agreement is implemented, it will include a very significant package of sanctions relief for the Iranian people. "This memorandum of understanding will fundamentally change the way Iran conducts itself מול the world and the region, but Tehran will enjoy the advantages only if it fulfills all of its commitments."

"The Iranians get the benefits of the deal if they fulfill their obligations. Now it really depends on the Iranians. Over the coming months, we will see whether they are serious about dismantling the nuclear program over the long term."