- Trump says the deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- MoU announced despite Israeli attack on Lebanon.
- Iran’s nuclear program will be the subject of further talks.
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached a deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices tumbling but left the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program to future negotiations.
While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest step toward resolving the conflict that has killed thousands of people and disrupted energy markets since it began with joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with Pakistan acting as mediator, announced that an agreement had been reached early on Monday.
In a post on
The prime minister expressed his appreciation for Qatar’s leadership and acknowledged its role in mediation efforts that helped facilitate the US-Iran deal.
He also thanked Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing their leadership as visionary and highlighting their “immense contributions” to reaching the agreement.
He added that with the agreement now in place, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week, and pre-implementation discussions are expected to lay the groundwork for technical talks and the official signing ceremony.
“The agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” wrote US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform around 5:30 p.m. in Washington (21:30 GMT) on Sunday.
The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.
The precise terms were not immediately known. Sharif said in a post on X that the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.”
Lebanon has been a sticking point in the negotiations, as Israel and Hezbollah ignored calls from Trump and others to stop their attacks on each other in recent weeks.
In a statement, the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently as of Monday night.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said a broader deal would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period, including sanctions relief for Iran.
The fate of Iran’s nuclear program, another thorny issue, will also be addressed in those later talks, sources previously said. Reuters.
There was no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it is not part of the US-Iran talks.
Tight to reopen
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a major sea route for global oil and gas supplies that Iran has effectively closed for months, would open on Friday and that he had ordered an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
“Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote.
Oil prices fell on the news. Brent crude oil futures fell 4% in early trading on Monday, while Asian stock markets rose.
“The lack of detail, especially around shipping freedom, is a concern, but not one that should limit markets today as the rise in risk appetite develops,” said Sean Callow, senior currency analyst at ITC Markets.
Former Biden administration State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Trump had made significant concessions to Iran to achieve the status quo that existed before launching the war.
“We have no guarantees that the nuclear program will ever be addressed, but Iran has shown the world that it can hold the global economy hostage and get something from the United States in return,” Miller said.
Thousands of people have been killed, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, since US and Israeli forces first attacked Iran on February 28. Iran has attacked Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases and effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy prices. US forces have blockaded Iranian ports in response.
The war has become a domestic political liability for Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress, and public opinion polls show Americans deeply frustrated by rising gasoline prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. But Trump has also faced pressure from members of his own party who insist that Iran’s nuclear program must be shut down completely.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Iran hawk, praised the deal but said he would “closely watch” upcoming negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
“Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and vote,” he said. “Congratulations to everyone for getting us to this point.”
During his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 multilateral deal with Iran, negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama, that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, including international inspections.
Iran responded by increasing its uranium enrichment, producing more than 400 kg (about 900 pounds) of material with near bomb-grade purity. The final destination of that uranium is likely to be a key negotiating point during upcoming talks.
‘A very difficult guy’
The deal was sealed despite an Israeli attack on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disagreed with Trump over American demands that Israel halt its military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.
Israel has said it will maintain freedom of operations in Lebanon, while Iran has made a complete ceasefire there an important component of its demands.
Trump updated Netanyahu on progress toward a peace deal during a phone call on Sunday, Israeli newspaper N12 reported, citing a senior official.
In an interview with New York TimesTrump called Netanyahu “a very difficult guy” and argued that the Israeli leader should thank him for saving Israel from a nuclear-armed Iran.
Leaders outside the Middle East, who have cautiously followed the conflict, welcomed the announcement.
In a joint statement, Britain, Germany, France and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to “clear and verifiable steps” to limit its nuclear program.
“We are clear that freedom of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must now be restored,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.”
Before the deal was announced, a senior Iranian official said Reuters that, under the terms of the draft, the United States would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets. The Trump administration has previously said that any release of Iranian money would only come once Iran has met certain conditions under a peace deal.
A US official, who also spoke before the announcement, said the deal would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, and that its stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be destroyed and disposed of. The senior Iranian official said the draft deal would allow Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium domestically.
