UN experts warn Iran-US MoU leaves Iranian people behind

In a statement, the experts said the MoU focuses mainly on military withdrawal, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear commitments, sanctions relief and a $300 billion reconstruction fund, while the Iranian people are “barely visible” in the framework.

“A deal that serves geopolitical interests while leaving the Iranian people behind is not a peace agreement worthy of the name,” they said.

The groups of experts which includes the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran's human rights situation Mai Sato, accused Iranian authorities of using the war to intensify repression, saying thousands had been detained since late February, with many reportedly tortured, forcibly disappeared, subjected to mock executions or forced to confess on camera.

They said at least 156 people had been executed since the start of the war, including at least 42 on espionage and national security-related charges, many after proceedings in which confessions were reportedly obtained under torture or defendants were denied access to lawyers.

They also cited the seizure of assets belonging to at least 1,500 citizens, including hundreds of Iranians abroad, calling it a tool of punishment and transnational repression.

In recent days, many Iranians opposed to the Islamic Republic have voiced frustration over the signing of the US-Iran memorandum, fearing that Washington and Tehran are moving toward an agreement that would preserve the ruling system after months of war, repression, blackouts and sanctions.

After the January crackdown, in which security forces killed thousands of protesters and detained many more, both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu promised to support Iranians seeking to bring down the regime.

But the agreement has deepened concern among many anti-government Iranians that ordinary people paid the heaviest price while Tehran’s more hardline leadership survived and may now gain breathing space through diplomacy.

In their Friday statement, the UN experts urged all states involved in or mediating the next 60 days of negotiations to press for accountability, reparations, a moratorium on executions, the release of arbitrarily detained people, disclosure of the fate of the forcibly disappeared, restoration of open internet access and protection of civic space.

“The end of hostilities must not be mistaken for the restoration of rights,” they warned. “For the Iranian people, that work is yet to begin.”

US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to take steps that could undermine President Donald Trump’s effort to secure a lasting peace deal with Iran, the Washington Post reported, citing current and former US officials.

The warning comes amid growing tension over Lebanon, where Israel appears intent on continuing military operations against Hezbollah despite a key element of the US-Iran framework calling for an end to hostilities there.

The report said Netanyahu faces domestic pressure to maintain the Lebanon campaign and avoid any move that could be seen as a defeat. Israel launched airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday after a Hezbollah drone strike killed four Israeli soldiers, as US and Iranian officials postponed planned talks in Switzerland.

US Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper praised the 15,000 American service members who supported the naval blockade over the past two months, saying they helped enforce restrictions while allowing humanitarian aid to continue.

“I could not be prouder of our 15,000 men and women in uniform who supported the blockade over the past two months,” Cooper said in a CENTCOM statement.

He said their “dedication and professionalism” were on display every day, ensuring “strict enforcement while still supporting humanitarian aid flow.”

Iran’s judiciary said on Friday it has identified and prosecuted a large number of people accused of links to “hostile governments” and Israel, with some sentenced to long prison terms, asset confiscation or execution.

Hamzeh Khalili, the judiciary’s first deputy, said that the cases were handled “swiftly and decisively” during the recent war, in coordination with security and oversight agencies.

He said the judiciary had issued rulings against “a significant number” of individuals accused of cooperating with hostile states and the “Zionist regime,” adding that some of the cases had been publicized through state television.

Iranian authorities frequently use charges such as cooperation with hostile states or Israel against dissidents, activists and government critics.

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will meet in Cairo on June 21, as regional powers involved in Iran-US diplomacy seek to coordinate positions after a planned meeting between Iran and the US in Switzerland was postponed.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will attend the fourth meeting of the R-4 foreign ministers in Cairo on June 21, Islamabad said Friday, bringing together regional states that have played roles in efforts to de-escalate the Iran-US conflict.

The meeting will include the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Islamabad said the ministers will discuss regional developments and exchange views on “peace, security, and stability.”