The signing of the MOU on June 18, 2026, does not immediately lift sanctions. Instead, it legally binds both nations to a strict, conditional sequencing process over a 60-day negotiating window, aiming for a final comprehensive deal by approximately August 17, 2026.
The agreed-upon sequence for relief is:
Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz (within 30 days).
Restoration of IAEA nuclear inspection access.
Phased relief of sanctions.
The architecture of US sanctions remains the hardest-to-resolve issue before the August 17 deadline:
Executive sanctions can be lifted immediately by the US President without Congressional approval.
Statutory sanctions require US Congressional action to be permanently removed.
Iran is pushing for complete statutory removal or legal safeguards to prevent a repeat of 2018, when the US unilaterally reinstated sanctions via executive order.
Full sanctions relief is expected to release 80–90 million barrels of Iranian crude currently held in floating storage. Within 90 to 180 days post-deal, it will allow an additional 1.3 to 1.5 million barrels per day back into the global market.
Major US cloud infrastructure providers (such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud) remain strictly blocked from the Iranian market by OFAC sanctions. Because statutory sanctions must be cleared first, the absolute earliest window for compliance-cleared tech entry into Iran is late 2026.
