US and Iran reach deal to end war, Trump says Strait of Hormuz to open on Friday
“The agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform around 5:30 pm local time (ET) in Washington on Sunday. The post came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country served as a mediator, announced an agreement had been reached early Monday local time.
Sharif wrote that the agreement will be officially signed in Switzerland on Friday.
The exact terms were not immediately known. The agreement calls for “an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Sharif said in a post on X.
Lebanon has become a sticking point in the talks, with Israel and Hezbollah ignoring calls from Trump and others to stop attacks on each other in recent weeks.
Trump said that the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route for global energy supply that Iran has effectively closed for months, will be opened on Friday and that he ordered the end of the US embargo on Iranian ports.
“Earth Ships, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote. Oil prices fell on this news. Brent crude futures fell 4% in early trading Monday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate lost more than 4.6%.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Garibabadi, said a more comprehensive agreement, including sanctions relief, would be negotiated during the 60-day ceasefire period. Sources who previously spoke to Reuters said that the fate of Iran’s nuclear program would also be discussed in subsequent talks.
Since February 28, when US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran, thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. Iran has attacked Israel and the Gulf countries that host US bases and has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, raising global energy prices. In response, US forces closed Iranian ports.
There was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which said it was not a party to the planned US-Iran deal.
The Iran war has become a domestic political liability for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress; Polls show Americans are deeply disappointed with rising gas prices ahead of the November midterm elections. But Trump has also faced pressure from members of his own party who insist on a complete halt to Iran’s nuclear program.
ISRAELI ATTACK
The agreement was signed despite Israel’s attack on Lebanon on Sunday, which drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
Israeli negotiator Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf said in a post previously published on
Iran’s foreign ministry announced that it held the United States responsible for the attack. Iran warned of a “strong response” and its top joint military command said it had its “finger on the trigger” and was ready to fire “into the heart of the enemy”.
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, especially on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Agreement with Iran,” Trump said in a post early Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disagreed with Trump over American demands that Israel halt military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.
While Israel says it will maintain freedom of operations in Lebanon, Iran has made a complete ceasefire there an important component of its demands.
According to the news of Israel’s N12 channel, citing a senior official, Trump informed Netanyahu about the progress towards the peace agreement during his phone call on Sunday.
AGREEMENT TERMS
A senior Iranian official had previously told Reuters that under the terms of the draft deal, the United States would agree to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, while Iran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons. The official said Iran agreed to maintain the nuclear status quo, including not enriching uranium or expanding nuclear facilities until a final agreement is reached.
Speaking before the deal was announced, a US official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the end of Iran’s nuclear program and the destruction and disposal of its highly enriched uranium stockpile. A senior Iranian official said the draft deal would allow Iran, which has denied seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium at home.
Qatari negotiators flew to Tehran on Sunday morning as part of efforts to finalize the deal, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
At pro-government rallies across Iran on Saturday night, residents and news agencies reported that conservatives who oppose the framework agreement were vocal in their displeasure.
A person in the northeastern city of Mashhad told Reuters that some protesters chanted “Death to the peacemaker”, referring to Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi.
