White House launches full-court press to sell Iran agreement ahead of formal signing, release of text

White House Officials Promote Iran Agreement Ahead of Formal Signing and Text Release

Vice President JD Vance, whose digital signature is already on the memorandum of understanding intended to end the Iran war, appeared on network and cable television programs on Monday to describe the agreement and address reports about its terms. “I think when people see this deal, we hope to release the text this week, they’re going to realize that this is going to make the whole region safer, and this is another way in which this is a transformative agreement,” Vance said on CNBC.

Vance also told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he had seen “a lot of misinformation out there,” including a claim of $24 billion moving from the United States to Iran. “That number is totally false, totally made-up,” he said.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that reports of the United States paying Iran $300 million were “Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!!!”

Administration statements have addressed figures that first appeared in Iranian state media. Iranian outlets reported that $12 billion—half of $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen under sanctions—would be released before a second phase of nuclear talks. The same outlets stated that the roughly page-and-a-half agreement includes a pledge by other countries, not the United States, to support up to $300 billion in foreign investment for Iranian reconstruction.

At the G7 summit, Trump described the $300 billion figure as a “rumor.” A senior administration official had told reporters on a conference call the previous day that the memorandum includes a $300 billion fund to assist reconstruction if Tehran meets specified benchmarks. Trump told reporters, “That rumor got out there yesterday, it was ridiculous. We have no obligation to invest any money in Iran.”

Vance told CNN’s Jake Tapper that no sanctions relief or unfrozen assets had been provided by the United States or Gulf allies. He added that the agreement “contemplates a very significant sanctions relief package for the Iranian people that transforms how they interact with the world and with the region. But they only get that benefit if they meet their obligations under the agreement.” He further stated, “The benefits of the bargain only accrue, again, if Iran actually complies. We’re not talking about rewarding words. We’re talking about changing the way that we deal with Iran based on their actions.”

Details of the Agreement Remain Limited

The text of the memorandum has not been released. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters on Capitol Hill that he did not know enough about the document and that even staff members who follow the issue closely had limited information.

Trump said at the G7 summit in France that he wanted the document released “sometime after Friday because the Strait opens completely.”

Vance described some provisions as expectations rather than finalized terms. On the question of access to the Strait of Hormuz, he said on CNBC, “Our expectation is that the Strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term. That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations.”

The document does not contain references to Iran’s ballistic missile program or support for regional proxies, according to reporting on its contents. Vance told CNN, “We certainly expect that as part of our broader agreement Iran is going to stop funding terrorist organizations.” He described the memorandum as “a very general document” and said several issues would be addressed in the technical negotiation phase.

Trump told reporters in France that he expected the next round of talks to be easier than the first.

Congressional Reactions

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), appearing on CNN after Vance, questioned the decision to withhold the text even after digital signatures by Trump, Vance, and Iran’s chief negotiator. “This is the administration that promised to be the most transparent in history. And yet they can’t share a memo, a mere memo that’s a page and a half long,” Moulton said. He added that the public was being asked to accept that the short document would achieve multiple objectives, including reopening the Strait, preventing a nuclear weapon, halting ballistic missile development, ending support for proxies, and restoring regional peace. “It honestly sounds like a surrender document,” he said.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement noting that key objectives such as regime change, ending Iran’s nuclear program, and reducing its capacity to threaten neighbors through drones, missiles, and proxies had not been met. She stated that America’s position was weaker than at the start of the conflict, particularly because of Iran’s demonstrated willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz. Shaheen said Congress must be briefed immediately and would consider any nuclear deal under existing law.

Additional Developments at the G7 Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a morning session of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Video showed Zelensky seated to Macron’s left with Trump to his right. Trump said a second meeting with Zelensky was scheduled and that Russia should make a deal. He noted that Ukraine had turned the tide on the battlefield and was blocking Russian resupply to forces in Crimea, while stating that the United States has no direct involvement beyond selling weapons.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X that the situation in 2026 differed from 2025, with Ukraine holding the front line and Russia showing fatigue. She called for continued support, including the first disbursement of a €90 billion EU loan and a winter assistance package.

Zelensky posted video of a Ukrainian strike on an oil refinery near Moscow, describing it as a response to Russian strikes and the prolongation of the war. Reports indicated that Russia conducted a large-scale drone and missile attack on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing five of six Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. The Institute for the Study of War stated that the strikes damaged cultural sites, including a historic monastery, the Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kyiv, the Dnipro House of Organ and Chamber Music, and the Kharkiv Art Museum.

Ukrainian drone operations have created fuel shortages and supply disruptions in Crimea, according to reports, and prompted relocation of some Russian Black Sea Fleet command elements. Partisan sources cited by the Institute for the Study of War said headquarters functionality had declined amid logistics problems, with some officers moving family members to the Russian mainland.

The memorandum of understanding remains unsigned in final form, and its full text has not been made public. Technical negotiations are scheduled to follow the initial agreement.