US official says parties can still walk away from Iran deal, sequencing will be key


A woman holds an Iranian flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - ⁠Both Iran and the U.S. ⁠can walk away from the memorandum ‌of understanding they are set to sign on Friday, and upcoming talks are likely to focus ​on the precise sequencing of ⁠the steps previewed ⁠in the preliminary accord, a senior U.S. ⁠official ‌told reporters on Wednesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official ⁠read out the 14-point memorandum that is ​due ‌to be formally signed in Switzerland. ⁠They said ​the upcoming meeting there will be "critical" for ensuring that the memorandum of understanding ⁠can evolve into a comprehensive ​agreement.

"I think the meeting in Switzerland will be quite critical in order to really ⁠see how we get to the next phase," a senior U.S. official said.

The document, as read out by the official, ​was similar to the ⁠14-point memorandum that various media outlets, including ​Reuters, had already ‌reported on earlier in the ​day.

(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Gram Slattery; editing by Michelle Nichols)

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