The US-Iran deal is foreign policy realism at work

The agreement, however incomplete, is about achieving what’s possible

    • The US-Iran MOU aims to restore shipping through Hormuz and buy time for negotiations over unresolved nuclear questions.
    • The US-Iran MOU aims to restore shipping through Hormuz and buy time for negotiations over unresolved nuclear questions. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Thu, Jun 18, 2026 · 06:30 AM

    AFTER more than 100 days of war, skyrocketing energy prices and the real prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran, the US and Iran have reached an agreement.

    On Sunday (Jun 14), US President Donald Trump announced that the two sides had finalised a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which would remove the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and extend the current ceasefire.

    The formal signing is scheduled for Jun 19 in Geneva.