Questions are being raised over the US-Iran peace agreement announced after 15 weeks of conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. US President Donald Trump had launched the military campaign alongside Israel in February, outlining a series of major objectives, including regime change in Iran, the dismantling of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, weakening its naval capabilities and curbing support for armed groups across the region. However, critics argue that several of those goals remain unfulfilled despite the newly signed agreement.
Unmet Goals
At the start of the conflict, Trump urged the Iranian public to challenge the country’s religious leadership and described the war as an opportunity for political change. Yet the agreement contains no reference to regime change, and Iran’s current leadership remains firmly in power.
Despite significant damage during the conflict, no major public uprising emerged in Iran and the government retained control throughout the 15-week war.
Trump had also repeatedly stated that Iran would never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. However, the agreement does not fully resolve concerns surrounding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles or sensitive nuclear facilities. These issues have reportedly been left for future negotiations.
Similarly, Iran’s ballistic missile programme was not included in the final agreement. During the conflict, Trump had called for the complete elimination of Iran’s missile capabilities, arguing that they posed a threat to Israel and US interests in the region. Reports suggest the matter was excluded from the negotiation agenda.
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Regional Influence
The agreement also does not contain clear provisions regarding Iranian support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and allied factions operating in Iraq and Syria.
The US and Israel had sought restrictions on Iran’s financial, military and training support for these groups. However, no concrete commitments on the issue were included in the memorandum of understanding.
The conflict also disrupted activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route responsible for around 20 per cent of global oil trade. While the passage has reopened, Iran has indicated that it will continue to strengthen its monitoring and control of the strategic waterway.
During the war, US and Israeli forces targeted hundreds of Iranian military installations, including missile sites, command centres, air defence systems, drone facilities and naval assets. Despite those strikes, Iran continued launching missile and drone attacks against Israel and several Gulf states throughout the conflict.
The war began on February 28 and continued through March, April and May before Trump announced the agreement on June 15. The deal was digitally signed by President Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
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