Iran’s Abbas Araqchi says 14-article memorandum with US to be signed digitally after finalization

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed on June 12 that a 14-article memorandum of understanding with the United States could be finalized imminently, with the document set to be signed digitally. The possible signing date is June 15 in Geneva, marking a notable diplomatic pivot in one of the world’s most consequential geopolitical standoffs.

What the deal covers, and what it doesn’t

The 14-article framework, facilitated through Pakistani mediation, is designed as a confidence-building measure. It tackles the immediate friction points: Gulf hostilities and shipping lane disruptions that have rattled energy markets and trade flows for years.

What it explicitly does not address is the nuclear program and the sprawling sanctions architecture that the Trump administration has layered onto Iran’s economy. Those conversations are reserved for a later round, assuming the first phase holds together long enough to get there.

The crypto dimension: $7.7 billion and counting

Iran’s digital asset ecosystem processed over $7.7 billion in volume by late 2025, with more than $3 billion linked to state-associated activities. On June 2, the Treasury Department sanctioned four major Iranian digital asset exchanges for facilitating sanctions evasion. The timing, barely ten days before Araqchi’s announcement about the MOU, is hard to read as coincidental.

Why this matters for crypto investors

If this MOU leads to eventual sanctions relief, even partial, it could reduce Iran’s reliance on crypto as a workaround for blocked banking channels. That $7.7 billion in volume didn’t materialize because Iranians suddenly fell in love with blockchain technology. It exists because SWIFT access and correspondent banking relationships were cut off.

Positive sentiment surrounding the deal has already resulted in brief appreciation in Bitcoin’s value. The 2015 JCPOA took roughly two years of intense diplomacy to finalize, and that deal ultimately unraveled. Regulatory announcements from Treasury, any shifts in enforcement against Iranian-linked exchanges, and the trajectory of phase-two talks will be the data points worth watching over the coming weeks.

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