Update XIII from The Iranist
May 29, 2026
Salam reader,
It turns out a deal was made—well, not quite. What emerged was a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which is still being finalized ahead of more substantial negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, US sanctions, and a formal bid to end the war (AP). Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic spent much of the week declaring victory over the United States. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqaei compared Washington’s “defeat” to Rome’s humiliation before Persia in the era of Valerian—though he mistakenly referenced Philip the Arab instead—and posted the famous relief depicting the Roman emperor kneeling before Shapur I (X). Tehran’s message is this: President Donald Trump and the United States supposedly suffered a humiliating defeat akin to Rome’s and are now “bending the knee” to the Islamic Republic.
Iranian embassy accounts, known for their snark and trolling, also piled on by posting memes portraying the United States as defeated (X/X/X). (They apparently also moved on from the Lego AI video genre to Minecraft.) Still, Tehran may want to exercise more caution. Nothing is final until an agreement is actually signed, and even then, negotiators anticipate 60 days to hammer out a formal deal, which may not even happen. Here are the latest details on the MOU, according to President Donald Trump, who said he would make a final determination in the Situation Room on May 29 (today):
“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!). Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of “heading home!”… The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States (which, it is agreed, is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability of doing so!), in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED. No money will be exchanged, until further notice. Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to…” (Truth Social)
Various media outlets—Axios, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal—have been reporting additional details about what the MOU may entail. According to an Iranian official and a diplomat, one provision under discussion includes an investment fund for Iran, should a final deal materialize. It has also been described as a “reconstruction program,” which Tehran requested because of the damage sustained during the war (New York Times). Apparently, Tehran proposed allowing US companies, including major oil and energy corporations, to enter the country through investments and joint ventures.
A lot can still happen, especially when dealing with a mercurial US president. Adding pressure to reach an agreement on the MOU is the fact that, just this past week, the US and Iran exchanged fire twice, while Tehran launched a ballistic missile at Kuwait on May 28 that was intercepted (Wall Street Journal/AP). Iranian authorities are now assembling a task force to plan for the burial ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was killed in an air strike on the first day of the war—suggesting confidence that the MOU is practically official (X). More importantly, the partial return of internet access on May 26 sends a similar signal (X).
A flood of social media posts and family calls on WhatsApp and FaceTime followed this week, unleashing a wave of emotions among many Iranians inside Iran and in the diaspora. After an unprecedented massacre, a second war, and now economic devastation, Iranians inside the country are as opinionated as ever.
One wrote:
“Hello dear ones, I missed you all. I hope you’re well though honestly, maybe don’t ask how any of us are doing, because you probably can’t bear hearing the sound of the pride and individuality of so many broken young people shattering unless, of course, we lie and say we’re fine.” (X)
Another said:
“Everyone is happy the internet is back. I’m upset that things are becoming normal again. Back in January, we were cut off with the dollar at 140 [thousand] tomans. Now we’re back online with the dollar at 180 [thousand tomans], runaway inflation, tens of thousands dead, massive destruction, and shortages everywhere. This transformation from offline to online brings no joy at all…” (X)
Some continued expressing anti-regime sentiment:
“After 88 days, I’m back… I hope everyone is doing well. We won’t return to normal until Iran is free. Our war against the Islamic Republic continues.” (X)
Others condemned the supporters of the war:
“Hello my dear friends, I’m back after three difficult months. I didn’t buy [Internet Pro] because I didn’t want to contribute to normalizing the situation. Our company was damaged because of the war, and I lost my job. Through all the hard moments, I cursed the supporters of war. I hope that from now on, there will be peace and happiness for the people of Iran ❤️🙏 #InMemoryOfTheAngelsOfMinab” (X)
The disconnection was especially gutting for those who either refused to buy Internet Pro or couldn’t afford it, leaving them cut off from their family and friends in the diaspora for three months.
One diaspora Iranian captured this pain well:
“My mom video calls me on WhatsApp and FaceTime every hour. I ask, ‘Mom, did something happen?’ She says, ‘I’m scared they’ll shut off the internet again… and I won’t be able to see you for months.’ And that one sentence contains the entire silent terror of an Iranian mother… A mother geographically broken-winged, who doesn’t even have the simple and secure certainty of being able to see her child.” (X)
Because nearly 90 million people were effectively offline since February 28, some diaspora Iranians began posting—often humorously—to remind Iranians what they missed, while also taking jabs at both the pro- and anti-war diaspora as well as the clerical establishment, using the hashtag وقتی_شما_نبودید# (#WhenYouWeren’tHere).
Videos from the January uprising and ensuing war are surfacing as Iran’s internet partially returns. Unfortunately, some will still cling to their preferred narratives, despite mounting evidence that extraordinary numbers took to the streets to protest the Islamic Republic (X/X/X/X/X), masses of Iranians publicly celebrated Khamenei’s death (X), and that the war itself was devastating (X/X).
More soon,
Holly
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X for real-time updates and on LinkedIn, where I’ve been sharing additional interviews and commentary.
Thank you, Holly.