Dateline:      WhatThe?Ville, June 20, 2026

After days of suspense-building over its actual provisions, the much-anticipated MOU with Iran was finally made public. Trump claims that the framework amounts to total victory over Iran. However, the provisions spell a different story.

The resolution of most of the issues between the US and Iran are left to further negotiation. A 60-day period has begun to try to settle those matters.

The MOU does resolve three issues immediately: (1) the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz; (2) US facilitation of Iran’s oil sales; and (3) the US release of Iran’s frozen assets to its radical regime. The value of the assets are estimated to run into the tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, in US dollars.

What’s wrong with this deal? After almost four months of military operations, the destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium, the primary justification for the conflict, is still TBD.

Further, Trump has abandoned the fate of the Iranian people to the radical regime. And Israel’s self-defense right is severely criticized even in the face of Hezbollah attacks.

Under the MOU the US gives Iran immediate, and significant, economic relief and 60 more days of stalling while the US gains nothing. True, the Strait is freely open once again, but it was closed on March 1 by Iran only after the US commenced Epic Fury. So, the framework restores passage through the Strait to the status quo ante bellum. That’s not a gain. It’s a costly climb out of the hole Iran put us in.

Trump’s motivation for the immediate opening of the Strait is political. The skyrocketing price of oil and the goods and services dependent upon it must come down or the GOP will suffer significantly in the midterms. Big loses will tie Trump’s hands for the remainder of his term. He’s willing to sacrifice others to avoid that result.

The only crowds that cheer that on are in the IRGC.