U.S. and Iran exchange strikes after Trump signs nuclear talks memorandum

Iran had fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, prompting the initial U.S. response. The memorandum of understanding signed three weeks earlier opened a 60-day period for talks on Iran’s nuclear program. The 14-point document contained vague terms, and technical discussions have only just begun.

Diplomatic process and personnel Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who led backchannel talks, briefed Republican leaders the day after the memorandum was signed. They described a secret visit to Oak Ridge National Laboratory on June 4 to meet nuclear experts and said those experts were placed on standby for future negotiations.

Multiple former U.S. officials told CNN that career government experts on nuclear issues were consulted only intermittently before the memorandum was signed. The White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated that consultations across agencies and with the IAEA had occurred and that complaints about exclusion came from people who could not be trusted with sensitive information.

Technical preparations and timeline concerns Preparations have started to bring Iranian nuclear material to the United States for processing at the Y-12 National Security Complex near Oak Ridge and the Savannah River Site in Georgia. Former State Department official Nate Swanson said the Iranian negotiating team has remained largely the same since 2013 and possesses detailed knowledge of prior talks.

Swanson added that the memorandum did not resolve control of the Strait of Hormuz or establish a clear process for removing enriched nuclear material. He said the document left open questions about what had been agreed and whether the 60-day timeline could be met amid renewed fighting.