The Trump administration said on Friday, 13 June that a proposed nuclear agreement with Iran is designed to underpin a wider regional peace framework spanning Israel, Lebanon, Gulf states, and Tehran — while preserving each party's right to self-defence against future attacks. A senior administration official expressed growing confidence that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran could be signed within days.

Beyond the Nuclear File

While international attention has largely centred on Iran's nuclear programme, the administration made clear that the initiative extends well beyond uranium enrichment limits. Officials described the framework as an attempt to reduce the layered regional tensions that have fuelled conflict across West Asia for years.

'It guarantees a long-term peace in the region,' the official said during a background briefing, adding that the arrangement would require Iran to halt support for violence in the region while also ensuring respect for Iranian sovereignty.

Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf in the Frame

The senior official confirmed that the broader peace architecture would formally include Israel, Iran, Lebanon, and Gulf Coast countries. 'The broad regional peace agreement is broad,' the official said. 'It includes Lebanon, it includes Iran, it includes the Gulf Coast countries, it includes Israel.'

On Israeli concerns, the official said the United States had maintained close contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders throughout negotiations. 'The President spoke with Bibi yesterday,' the official noted, expressing confidence that Israeli reservations would diminish once the full details of the agreement became public.

Self-Defence Rights and Enforcement Mechanisms

The administration was at pains to reassure regional partners that joining the framework would not strip them of the right to respond to security threats. The official specifically cited the possibility of future Hezbollah rocket attacks or Iran-backed missile launches as scenarios in which countries would retain the right to act unilaterally.

'If Hezbollah is firing rockets at Israel, and Iran is paying for missiles that are getting launched into Israel, then obviously they haven't kept their end of the bargain,' the official said. The deal, officials argued, links economic benefits for Tehran directly to Iranian behaviour — both on the nuclear file and on regional conduct. 'We don't give anything up unless they do honour their end of the bargain,' the official said.

Confidence on Iranian Consensus, Caution on Timeline

Asked whether hardliners within Iran or elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could derail the agreement, the official said the administration believes there is broad support within Iran's political and security establishment. 'We actually feel quite confident that there is consensus within the system,' the official said.

The official nonetheless acknowledged that peace arrangements of this complexity rarely stabilise immediately. 'These things are always an evolution, they're always a process,' the official said, signalling that early-stage setbacks should be expected. The administration's next steps will be closely watched by Tel Aviv, Riyadh, and Beirut alike as the MOU deadline approaches.