Book Offer
This will close in 10 seconds
A tentative peace deal has been struck between the United States of America and Iran, with officials involved in the process claiming that it will bring an end to the fighting and see the Strait of Hormuz reopened.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all,” US President Donald Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social.
“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,” the American president said, adding “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow”.
President Trump’s announcement came shortly after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared success in talks between the warring nations.
The details of the agreement have not yet been confirmed, but Mr Sharif stated that both the US and Iran have agreed to “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
An official signing ceremony is due to be held Friday, June 19, in Switzerland.
The Pakistani prime minister thanked both countries for their “commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” and offered thanks also to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for the roles they each played in mediating the deal.
“With the agreement now in place, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week. These pre-implementation discussions will lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony,” Mr Sharif said in a post on X.
The semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr reports that the 14-article memorandum of understanding includes such provisions as sanctions relief for Iran; a reconstruction plan for Iran financed by the US and allies amounting to at least $300 billion; and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The Iranian report also claims that a further negotiation period would be required to finalise the terms of the deal on nuclear issues and sanctions relief.
The White House has not yet commented on the contents of the agreement. However, the terms of the deal are expected to be made public following the official signing on Friday.
Reactions to the diplomatic developments have poured in from across the world, with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres saying that the framework represents a “critical step” towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
E4 nations France, Germany, Italy and the UK signalled openness to lifting sanctions on Iran, commenting in a shared statement that they were willing to work “with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement”.
The western European nations also expressed “full support to the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon”.
The peace deal announcement came at the end of a turbulent Sunday, after Israel struck targets in the Lebanese capital Beirut in response to Hezbollah launches.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump lashed out at his country’s ally in the war against Iran, writing that Israel’s attack “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran”.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process,” the American president said, adding that “all sides should stand down”.
“There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” he said.
Israel has yet to issue an official response to news of the peace deal. However, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the IDF will not be withdrawing from “security zones” it has seized in southern Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, adding that if Iran attacks Israel over events in Lebanon, it will “strike it with full force”.
This will close in 10 seconds