Report: Proposed U.S.–Iran MOU could waive sanctions and reopen Strait oil flows, Investing.com says

Investing.com’s post points to a real negotiating track, but not to a finished agreement. Reuters reported on May 23 that President Donald Trump said a memorandum of understanding with Iran was “largely negotiated,” while Pakistani mediators and Iranian outlets described progress but also said key clauses were still unsettled. ABC News reported on May 6 that U.S. and Iranian negotiators had been trading draft versions of a one-page memorandum aimed at easing the Strait of Hormuz crisis and opening a 30-day period for broader talks. Officials told ABC that nothing had been formally agreed and that disputes remained, including over Iran’s demands tied to transit through the waterway. (usnews.com) ### Where did the sanctions-waiver claim come from? Investing.com had already outlined a similar framework in a May 6 market analysis. That article said the proposed memorandum would create a 30-day negotiation process covering sanctions, nuclear restrictions and the Strait of Hormuz, with phased concessions rather than a permanent settlement at the outset. (abcnews.com) Tasnim News, cited by Bloomberg on May 18, said the United States had accepted a temporary waiver of Iran’s oil sanctions in a new proposal during the negotiation period. Bloomberg said Washington had not publicly confirmed that offer. The U.S. sanctions backdrop is substantial. The State Department says Washington has maintained multiple Iran sanctions programs for decades and published new Iran-related sanctions actions as recently as May 19, May 1 and April 28, 2026. (investing.com) ### Is there evidence the Strait reopening is part of the draft? Reuters reported that the proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, with the option to extend that period. (bloomberg.com) Trump said the emerging agreement would reopen the strait, though he did not detail the full text. (state.gov) ABC News reported that the draft under discussion would have Iran ease its grip on the strait while the United States gradually lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports over 30 days. ABC said officials expected most nuclear specifics to be negotiated later rather than fixed in the initial memo. The State Department’s own recent language shows why the waterway is central. (usnews.com) In a May 5 statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran had threatened shipping, laid mines and tried to charge tolls in what he called the world’s most important waterway. (abcnews.com) ### What about the claim that Israel would have to end the Lebanon war? The Lebanon provision has appeared in media reports on the draft, but it has not been publicly confirmed by the White House or State Department. The Times of Israel reported on May 6 that the one-page memorandum included a Lebanon ceasefire alongside sanctions relief, Hormuz reopening and broader talks. The Jerusalem Post reported on May 24 that the draft could “end Lebanon war” as part of the package. (state.gov) Reuters’ May 23 and May 24 reports, by contrast, described the framework in broader terms and did not publicly spell out a Lebanon clause in the text they summarized. That leaves the Lebanon item in the category of reported draft content, not an announced U.S. commitment. ### How close are the two sides, according to public officials? (timesofisrael.com) Trump wrote on May 23 that the deal was “largely negotiated” and said final aspects and details would be announced shortly. Reuters reported on May 24 that a senior Iranian source said any memorandum approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council would then go to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval. (usnews.com) Rubio said on May 24 that more news could come on Sunday and that there was a possibility of “good news” on the strait within hours, according to Reuters. No matching public State Department transcript released from his New Delhi appearance contained those remarks, which suggests they were made in a separate exchange with reporters. (usnews.com) ### What should readers treat as confirmed right now? The confirmed part is the existence of an active U.S.-Iran negotiating track around a memorandum tied to the Strait of Hormuz and a short follow-on negotiation window. Reuters, ABC News and official U.S. statements all support that much. (globalbankingandfinance.com) The unconfirmed parts are the final text, any actual sanctions waiver, and the reported Lebanon condition. Those details have appeared in media and market reports, but as of May 24 there was no published White House text or signed memorandum available on official U.S. sites. (whitehouse.gov) (usnews.com)