Trump Signs Peace MoU with Iran Amid Rift with Israel

President Donald Trump and the Government of Iran announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 14, 2026, to end a conflict that began in February. The 14-point framework includes a ceasefire on all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to lower global energy prices, and a 60-day window to negotiate Iran's nuclear program. In exchange for committing not to acquire nuclear weapons, Iran is slated to receive sanctions relief and a potential $300 billion reconstruction fund, which Trump clarified would be funded by private investors or Gulf allies rather than U.S. taxpayers.

The agreement triggered a public breakdown in relations between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump sharply criticized Netanyahu's judgment after Israel launched airstrikes in Beirut's Dahieh district just hours before the deal's announcement, calling the strikes "vicious" and claiming they nearly derailed the process. Trump further urged Netanyahu to be "more rational" and warned that Israel could be left "on its own" if it continues aggressive operations in Lebanon.

Israel expressed deep disappointment, asserting it was excluded from the negotiations and that the deal fails to curb Iran's ballistic missile program. While Netanyahu defended Israel's security interests, far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir condemned the MoU as an existential threat. Vice President JD Vance defended the deal, rebuking Israeli officials' "weird panic" and stating that a country of nine million cannot "kill your way out" of every security problem. Despite a renewed ceasefire on June 20, subsequent Israeli strikes in Lebanon led Vance to cancel technical negotiations in Switzerland on June 19.