US, Iran Agree To End War As Hormuz Reopens
The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to end their war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, though the two sides offered little clarity on the thorny question of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Washington and Islamabad said the agreement would be signed on Friday in Switzerland, signalling a major breakthrough toward ending more than three months of fighting that have cost thousands of lives and roiled global energy markets.
Few details were made public, but US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for global oil supplies, would reopen after the planned signing. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social, adding: “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” The post coincided with his 80th birthday.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in televised comments that the deal put an “immediate end” to the war and that the two nations would hold talks within two months toward a “final agreement.” Gharibabadi confirmed the text of the memorandum of understanding had been finalised and was scheduled to be signed Friday in Switzerland.
Just hours earlier, Tehran had vowed to retaliate over an Israeli strike against its ally Hezbollah in the suburbs of Beirut, a development that briefly threatened to derail the agreement.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a key mediating role, announced minutes before Trump that “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” He thanked the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for supporting the mediation.
The content of the agreement, which followed weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats from Trump of fresh hostilities, remained unclear. Iran’s Mehr news agency reported a 14-point memorandum of understanding, citing an estimated $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds to be unfrozen during the negotiation window, half before final talks begin. The Trump administration did not immediately comment on the details, which may prove contentious as Washington presses to end Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and address its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to have been buried by US strikes last year.
In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, Trump said Washington was still negotiating whether Iran would suspend enrichment for 20 years, hinting he might settle for 15 years but adding that he did not want to negotiate through the press.
The announcement drew international relief. Key issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme are expected to be addressed later, with the Friday signing expected to open 60 days of additional talks. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran and work toward “a long-term diplomatic settlement.” French President Emmanuel Macron urged a swift reopening of the waterway, saying “the resumption of maritime traffic, without restriction or toll, is an indispensable condition for regional stability and the global economy.”
Markets responded quickly, with oil prices falling and Asian equities rising at Monday’s open. Iran has effectively controlled the Strait of Hormuz since shortly after the war began about three and a half months ago, virtually shutting down the vital passage for much of the world’s oil and gas.
US Vice President JD Vance said he planned to attend the signing in Switzerland, telling Fox News the deal would “drive down the cost of energy” and “create a real engine of prosperity in the Middle East,” and that Trump could also attend.
Sunday proved turbulent. Trump had earlier blamed Israel for delaying the deal with its Beirut airstrike, telling Axios in an expletive-laden phone interview that he was furious with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Tehran has long insisted that any agreement to halt the war must also cover the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has pursued a campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the agreement as a “critical step” toward resolving the war.