One week in, what exactly are America and Iran getting from their agreement? | CNN Business

The big news is that the United States and Iran are no longer openly at war. That is, in itself, a win that likely saved lives a week after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding in France to halt the fighting. That pause was never a given, considering a half-century of hatred between Washington and Tehran and a regional history of eviscerated peace deals. So far, the MOU, a 14-point framework for talks on a permanent peace, has also survived the suspicions of many US lawmakers that it enshrines an American defeat. That’s because the costs of plunging back into the conflict now are prohibitive for both the US and Iran and that comes against the backdrop of some heady domestic political winds ahead of the midterms. Trump revealed last week that he’s not prepared to pay the economic price of more war. And why would Iran break the truce now, since it’s getting an immediate flow of benefits without having to give up much of its core bargaining position? Although the agreement may point to an off-ramp from the war, it’s not a durable peace. It’s a classic Trumpian device to buy time while shelving tough political choices for later. Still, benefits for both