Vance: ‘Delicate diplomatic things’ blocking immediate release of Iran MOU

Vice President Vance said Tuesday that the Trump administration has not yet released the text of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran because of ongoing diplomatic sensitivities involving Iran and the countries helping mediate the talks.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Vance said text of the preliminary deal is still expected to be released to the public this week, potentially as early as Wednesday and no later than Friday.

“The reason why we haven’t released it yet is there are some delicate diplomatic things going on,” he said, adding that the wait stems from requests made by Iran and mediating nations including Pakistan and Qatar to carefully coordinate the rollout of the text.

Vance said he didn’t fully understand the reasons behind the sensitivities, but acknowledged that the administration was attempting to accommodate the concerns from countries in the region.

“I don’t, frankly, fully understand it, but there are sensitivities that exist in the Arab and Muslim world that we’re trying to be responsive to,” he said.

President Trump and Vance electronically signed the preliminary deal Sunday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following months of closure that disrupted global oil supply. Vance is expected to represent the U.S. at a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland on Friday.

But reports of the content of the 14-point agreement described a provision that could allow Iran to have access to a $300 billion development fund if it meets its obligations outlined in the MOU, causing Iran hawks to voice concerns about the Middle East country having access to the potential funding.

Trump on Wednesday asserted that the MOU with Tehran is not final, and threatened to resume strikes on Iran if it does comply to its obligations, including reforming its nuclear program.

“No, it’s not final. It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head,” he said, speaking next to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the G7 Summit in France.