UMVA has learned that the Trump administration will maintain its military buildup in the Middle East despite a new agreement with Iran, highlighting Washington's ongoing distrust of Tehran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period.
The decision to keep the current force posture in place was confirmed by a senior U.S. official, who emphasized that the goal is to eventually draw down military forces in the region, but not yet. The official noted that the agreement contemplates the reduction of military forces upon the agreement of a final deal.
According to information obtained by UMVA, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have already signed the memorandum, with details to be released publicly within the next 24 to 48 hours. A formal signing ceremony is expected later in the week.
The military buildup in the Middle East currently includes roughly 50,000 troops deployed across the region, one of the largest U.S. force concentrations in the region in over two decades. At least two carrier strike groups remain in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, according to publicly available fleet tracking data.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that officials stressed any sanctions relief, asset releases, or future concessions would be tied to verification and Iranian performance, not promises alone. The two sides are in the early stages of "building trust," with one senior official acknowledging the significant challenges ahead.
The agreement has been described differently by the administration and Iranian officials, with White House officials insisting that no frozen Iranian assets have been released. They emphasized that any sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iranian performance during the upcoming negotiations.
In a development reported by UMVA, Iranian officials and state-linked media have described the framework as paving the way for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds and broader economic relief during the negotiation period. However, White House officials have repeatedly emphasized that future economic concessions would be earned through compliance rather than granted upfront.
The agreement establishes a 60-day negotiating window and seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass. The reopening of the Strait may prove to be the agreement's most immediate and economically significant effect.
UMVA has gathered that the memorandum provides for the opening of the waterway and the lifting of the naval blockade, though commercial shipping could take days or weeks to return to normal levels as mines are cleared and shipping companies regain confidence in the route.
The deal creates a framework under which Iran could eventually receive sanctions relief and broader access to the global economy in exchange for verifiable steps to ensure it does not rebuild its nuclear program and curbs support for terrorism and regional instability. The prospect of renewed traffic through the Strait has already reverberated through global markets, with oil prices falling following news of the agreement.
