Iran and US negotiate draft agreement on sanctions, military withdrawal, and frozen assets

The United States and Iran have reached a draft memorandum of understanding that, if finalized, would represent the most significant diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries in over a decade. The 60-day MOU, reportedly drafted on May 28, covers sanctions relief, nuclear compliance, military withdrawal, and the release of approximately $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets currently held in Qatar.

The agreement still requires President Donald Trump’s approval, and Iran is insisting that those frozen assets get released immediately as a prerequisite for further talks.

What’s actually in the deal

The draft MOU is structured as an initial framework, not a final agreement. It sets up a 60-day window during which both sides would negotiate the heavier issues: nuclear program limitations, economic normalization, and military arrangements in the region.

On the US side, the agreement reportedly includes commitments to lift certain sanctions and withdraw military forces. For Iran, the expectation is nuclear concessions, though the specific scope of those concessions remains the core of what would be negotiated during the 60-day period.

The $12 billion in frozen assets represents the most immediate flashpoint. Iran views their release as non-negotiable before deeper talks proceed.

These discussions trace back to April 2025 and draw on the framework established by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Obama-era nuclear deal that sought to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The crypto angle: sanctions, exchanges, and Bitcoin’s response

Bitcoin prices approached $82K in early May 2026 as positive reports about the negotiations surfaced.

On June 2, just days after the draft MOU was reported, the US Treasury sanctioned four major Iranian digital asset exchanges: Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex. The action fell under the Treasury’s “Economic Fury” campaign, which targets Iranian access to global digital asset markets.

Nobitex alone handled over half of Iran’s digital asset inflows in 2025. Sanctioning these platforms effectively cuts off a major pipeline through which Iranian users accessed crypto markets, regardless of what happens at the diplomatic negotiating table.

No significant crypto concessions or new token issuances have emerged from the draft agreement itself. The MOU focuses squarely on traditional geopolitical and economic concerns.

What this means for investors

The 2015 JCPOA took years of negotiations, survived multiple near-collapses, and was ultimately abandoned by the US in 2018 under Trump’s first term. The same president now needs to approve this new framework.

The 60-day window, if the MOU gets approved, would be the period to watch most closely. For crypto investors specifically, the parallel track of exchange sanctions means that even a successful diplomatic outcome won’t necessarily translate into easier global access to digital asset markets.

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