Alan Dershowitz said Saturday that the success of the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement will depend less on the language of the memorandum of understanding and more on whether negotiators can secure and enforce meaningful concessions from Tehran.
Appearing on Newsmax TV's "Saturday Report," the Harvard Law School emeritus professor said ongoing negotiations are more significant than the memorandum itself, which he characterized as a framework outlining possible future actions rather than a binding agreement.
"I think what it proves is that the deal itself is not nearly as important as the negotiations that are now taking place, because the deal is just a memorandum that talks about potentials for the future," Dershowitz said.
His comments came as the U.S. military disputed Tehran's assertion that it controls the strait, while President Donald Trump warned that the United States could impose tolls on vessels transiting the shipping lane if negotiations with Iran fail to produce a final agreement.
Dershowitz argued that Iran's recent actions underscore the need for strict implementation and enforcement of any commitments.
"We see that Iran is still claiming control over the Straits. It's not supposed to, so that's already a violation of the memorandum of understanding," he said.
Dershowitz said U.S. negotiators, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, must ensure that the agreement's provisions are carried out, particularly those involving freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global energy supplies.
"In the deal itself, the straits have to be kept open forever," he said, adding, "Iran has no possibility of controlling traffic through the Straits."
The legal scholar also said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon must remain a central objective of the negotiations.
He argued that declarations from Tehran renouncing nuclear weapons are insufficient without verifiable actions.
"It's not enough to say we will never develop nuclear weapons," Dershowitz said. "We know they say they won't, and they will."
Instead, he called for the removal and destruction of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, a halt to future enrichment activities and additional safeguards to ensure compliance.
Dershowitz also raised concerns about sanctions relief and financial resources that could flow into Iran under a future agreement.
He said restrictions should be imposed to prevent funds from reaching groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas.
"Right now, Hezbollah is saying we expect enormous amounts of money from Iran once the money comes into Iran," he said.
Dershowitz said the outcome of the negotiations will ultimately be determined by the specific measures implemented by both sides rather than the broad language contained in the memorandum.
"What's happening today with the negotiations is much more important than the words of the memorandum of understanding," he said.
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