WASHINGTON - A senior U.S. official said the United States will permit Iran to start selling oil and fuel immediately under the terms of a memorandum of understanding the two sides agreed to in order to end the war. The official said the provision that waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales becomes effective as soon as the MOU is signed this week.
In addition to crude and refined fuel, the waiver covers a set of services designed to enable those sales. The official explicitly listed banking, transportation and insurance among the services that would be allowed to facilitate trade once the agreement is in force.
The U.S. official emphasized that the MOU is conditional and performance-based. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the person said Iran will be able to access the benefits only if it meets all of the obligations laid out in the agreement.
Those obligations, the official said, include refraining from acquiring a nuclear weapon, neutralizing enriched nuclear material, and avoiding interference with the free flow of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The official framed these requirements as prerequisites for Iran to receive any advantages or sanctions relief under the MOU.
The official's remarks make clear that the practical effect of the agreement - including the resumption of Iranian oil exports and the reestablishment of supporting financial and logistical services - depends on both the formal signing of the MOU this week and Iran's subsequent compliance with the performance conditions set out in the deal.
Observers will be watching closely for the signature itself, which triggers the sanctions waiver, and for early indicators that Iran is meeting the benchmarks cited by the U.S. official. The MOU ties the economic relief directly to verification of the agreed actions, according to the official's statement.
Given the conditions attached to the waiver, the official's account underscores a mechanism in which sanction relief is reversible and contingent on continued adherence to the terms of the agreement. The statement did not provide further operational details or timelines beyond the immediate effect of the waiver upon signing.