Pakistan lacks 'press freedom': Vance on delayed Iran deal text
What's the story
United States Vice President JD Vance has said that the delay in releasing the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was partly due to the lack of press freedom in Pakistan and Qatar. Speaking on a podcast, Vance explained that Washington's concerns over transparency were behind the delay. He said, "I think part of the misalignment here is that in the Pakistani and Qatari systems, they don't quite have the First Amendment and freedom of the press."
Agreement unveiled
Full text released 2 days later
The full text of the US-Iran agreement was released two days after President Donald Trump announced it on June 15. The delay had sparked criticism from Democrats, who speculated that the US may have made major concessions to Iran to bring an end to the conflict, which has triggered a global oil crisis due to Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. The Memorandum of Understanding aims to end hostilities in the region and was brokered by Pakistan and Qatar.
Press freedom
Press freedom in Pakistan
Vance's remarks on the Interesting Times with Ross Douthat podcast have highlighted the deteriorating state of press freedom in Pakistan, which ranks 153rd out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index. The recent 27th Constitutional Amendment, passed in November 2025, further restricts media independence by removing the Supreme Court's power to independently examine fundamental rights.
Digital signing
US-Iran MoU signed digitally
The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding was signed digitally on Thursday by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, contrary to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's announcement of a signing ceremony in Switzerland. This development came as a further embarrassment for Pakistan, which had touted the deal as a diplomatic victory.
Deal details
Iran to dilute enriched uranium in exchange for economic relief
In the podcast, Vance also discussed key points of the deal. Iran has agreed to dilute its enriched uranium in exchange for economic relief. He emphasized this was a major win for the Trump administration as it ensures the destruction of Iran's stockpiled enriched uranium, unlike Barack Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A $300 billion reconstruction plan for Iran was also part of the deal, but Vance clarified no American money would go directly to Iran.