JD Vance says US-Iran deal ‘very general’ with many details yet to be negotiated – Middle East crisis live

Key events An estimated total of $24bn (£17.9bn) in frozen Iranian assets are due to be released in four instalments as part of the US-Iran deal, a source has told Israeli newspaper Hareetz . The assets will reportedly only be released if Iran allows for the toll-free reopening of the strait of Hormuz and agrees on certain “understandings” in relation to the nuclear talks set to begin. A Pakistani source said the money could be transferred to Iran under a pretext of economic assistance such as to help fund mine clearing operations in the strait of Hormuz (in order to make it a more palatable sell to the US public and sceptical lawmakers). People walk along Enghelab Square in the downtown part of the Iranian capital of Tehran. Photograph: Maryam Rahmanian/Shutterstock Iran’s Mehr news agency reported the US would release $12bn in frozen assets to Iran before the start of negotiations. It quoted a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which it said stipulated “the release of 24 billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets during the 60 day negotiation period” that begins after the MoU is signed. The official text of the deal has not been made public yet and both the US and Iran are giving different versions of what has been agreed to. The US vice president, JD Vance, denied on Monday that Iran will receive “billions of dollars of assets” as part of the deal. …