‘Pakistan does not have press freedom’:JD Vance blames Islamabad for delay in releasing full text of US-Iran deal

US Vice President JD Vance said the delay in releasing the full text of the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, known as the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding”, may be linked to the lack of press freedom protections in Pakistan, which played a key role in mediating the deal. His remarks came after the US and Iran signed the agreement on Wednesday, bringing an end to more than 100 days of conflict in West Asia. The delay in making the Iran deal public Pakistan and Qatar both played important roles in facilitating the agreement. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the first to announce on social media that the US and Iran had reached a ceasefire agreement, which was later named the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding”. According to a senior US official quoted by Bloomberg, discussions with Pakistani authorities and separate private talks with Qatari officials helped Washington better understand Iran’s political system and move the negotiations forward. The report added that a late intervention by Qatar was crucial in securing the temporary agreement. However, uncertainty remained after the announcement because the full text of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding was not immediately released. Vance blames lack of press freedom for delay in release Speaking on The New York Times podcast Interesting Times with Ross Douthat, Vance suggested that differences in media freedom between the US and the mediator countries may have contributed to the delay in publishing the agreement. Responding to a question about the benefits of the deal, Vance said the administration wanted the full text to be made public so Americans could review and analyse it. He argued that Pakistan and Qatar do not have the same constitutional protections for freedom of speech and the press as the United States, and therefore may not share the expectation that such agreements should be immediately available for public scrutiny. The US First Amendment protects freedoms including speech, religion, the press, assembly and the right to petition the government. Vance also highlighted key elements of the agreement, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the formal cessation of Iranian military action, which he described as a significant step towards de-escalation. The US-Iran memorandum of understanding The interim agreement between the US and Iran is aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while also restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. The deal allows Iran to resume unrestricted oil exports, providing an immediate economic benefit. Apart from this, both countries have largely returned to the position they were in before the conflict escalated around three and a half months ago. The next phase of diplomacy is expected to begin on Saturday, when US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to meet in Switzerland for a new 60-day round of negotiations.