After months of devastating war, the U.S. and Iran have formally signed a memorandum of understanding that opens the door for peace.
This 60-day framework agreement is a hopeful step toward the diplomatic resolution this crisis always demanded.
Under the deal, both sides agreed to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz. They also reached a broad outline to resolve issues over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and a reconstruction and economic development fund for Iran.
A Fragile Opportunity
This deal “is not an endpoint, it is an opening,” FCNL’s Hassan El-Tayyab explained. “We must use it wisely, maintain pressure on all parties, and ensure Congress has the tools and the will to prevent the next crisis from dragging us back into regional war.”
This agreement remains very fragile. Notably, it has been met with strong opposition from Israel, which has continued deadly strikes in Lebanon that experts warn could derail the prospects for an enduring regional peace.
War Was Never the Answer
As we welcome this step toward peace, we must not lose sight of the horrific human toll that this war has inflicted.
“Far too many lives have been lost,” FCNL Bridget Moix said. “This tragic war of choice never should have happened in the first place.”
From the outset, this war was illegal, immoral, and unjustified. The pre-war talks in Oman came remarkably close this exact framework. Diplomacy always was – and continues to be – the only path forward.
Continued Pressure for Peace is Needed
Notably, this breakthrough comes on the heels of the House passing an Iran War Powers Resolution – a testament to the impact of our collective advocacy.
“The grassroots peace movement deserves enormous recognition … their work helped force this moment and created space for diplomacy,” Hassan said.
But our work isn’t finished. With pro-war voices seeking to undermine this deal, persistent pressure will be vital. FCNL continues to urge passage of Sen. Tim Kaine’s (VA) Iran War Powers Resolution in the Senate and Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (MI-12) Lebanon War Powers Resolution in the House.
Beyond these immediate steps, this moment also demands a broader reckoning to confront the lessons of this disastrous war.
“The Trump administration needs to end its senseless war-first foreign policy,” Bridget said. “True peace is only possible when we put human dignity first and invest in the hard work of real diplomacy.”
Celebrating Juneteenth
On this day 161 years ago, June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free. Two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers brought the news to Texas. The Black community in Texas and throughout the South celebrated this as “Juneteenth” for years until, just in 2021, it became a federal holiday.
The day marks a consummation of a struggle for freedom. Since slavery began, people had been emancipating themselves, but this moment marked an end to slavery as an institution, enforced by the government.
Justice and peace broke into a corrupt and evil social system.
This wasn’t the end of Black Americans’ struggle for equality and justice. But it was a monumental step forward.
As FCNL’s Bridget Moix put it back in 2023, “Juneteenth is a reminder that none of us are free until all of us are free and that our country’s journey toward democracy and freedom for all continues.”
FCNL just reiterated our commitment to this journey in a new minute on our Anti-racism, Anti-bias, Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Integrity (AJEDI) principles. This is a difficult time to engage in the work of justice, and yet, as this minute claims, “The work of AJEDI is not ‘another issue’ among many, but integral to the preservation and promise of a multiracial democracy and the building of the Beloved Community.”
We are honored to be on this journey toward justice and peace with you. May we keep up the struggle, inspired by those who came before, until we achieve true freedom for all.
