Questions over the scope of the reported agreement between Washington and Tehran have resurfaced after US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had agreed never to acquire a nuclear weapon, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly ruled out any restrictions on the country’s missile programme.
The statements from the two sides have put attention back on what is actually contained in the reported 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) that emerged after talks aimed at ending hostilities in the region and securing stability around the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a Mack Trucks manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, Trump described the arrangement as a “historic peace agreement” and said its primary objective was to ensure Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve agreed to that,” Trump said.
The US President also linked the understanding to energy security, claiming oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz had reached record levels following the agreement.
Trump went further, asserting that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded.
“We’re leaving Iran with no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft, no missile capability, no nuclear program,” he said.
He also claimed Iran’s economy and defence industrial base had suffered extensive damage and would take years to recover.
Trump reiterated the nuclear issue remained the central reason behind his administration’s approach towards Tehran.
“I did it for this reason, 99 per cent for this, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The US President separately warned that Washington could walk away from ongoing discussions if Iran failed to allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“They told us inside and we have it down 100 per cent for inspections. And if they were right, I’d cancel the meetings right now,” Trump told reporters.
He said inspectors would be deployed “at the appropriate time” and claimed negotiations were progressing well.
“We are doing very well with Iran. They’ve been decimated, and we’re making a deal with them,” Trump said.
Iran’s missile programme not part of agreement with US: President
Tehran, however, pushed back against suggestions that its broader defence capabilities were part of any arrangement.
Speaking during a visit to Pakistan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s missile programme was not included in the MoU and would not be part of any future understanding.
“The discussion over our missiles does not exist in the MoU, and it never will,” Pezeshkian said.
He described the missile programme as a key component of Iran’s national defence and argued it had played a critical role in deterring attacks.
“If we did not have the missiles we use for our defence, Israel and the United States would have devastated Iran,” he said.
According to details cited from the published text of the 14-point MoU, the document includes provisions related to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing certain financial restrictions on Iran and laying out a framework for future technical talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The weapons-related commitment explicitly referenced in the document is Iran’s pledge not to “procure or develop nuclear weapons”.
The comments from both leaders come as diplomatic discussions continue over inspections, sanctions relief and wider regional security arrangements following talks held in Switzerland.