MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US and Iran announce a deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Trump later clarified that the definitive reopening of Hormuz would take place after Friday's signing

The United States and Iran reached a preliminary peace deal on Sunday to end nearly four months of war in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan, the mediating country, announced. The agreement, confirmed by both US President Donald Trump and Tehran, will be officially signed on Friday, June 19, in Switzerland.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on his X account that, “following intensive talks,” both sides declared “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Shortly afterward, Trump wrote on his Truth Social network that the deal was “complete” and authorized “the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” and the lifting of the US naval blockade. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that the text of the memorandum of understanding was “finalized.”

Trump later clarified that the definitive reopening of Hormuz would take place after Friday's signing, to allow the prior removal of the mines with which Iran had closed the passage, through which about 20% of the world's oil and gas flowed before the war. Markets reacted immediately: the price of Brent crude fell more than 3%, to around $84.

The announcement constitutes a provisional agreement. The memorandum sets a new ceasefire and a 60-day negotiation period to reach the definitive deal, which will address the lifting of sanctions, the future of Iran's nuclear program, monitoring mechanisms and a reconstruction plan. The mediators —Pakistan, mainly, but also Qatar, Turkey and Egypt— will take part in those talks. Accounts of what was agreed differ by side: Iranian state media presented it as a victory, while a senior US official, cited anonymously, said the economic benefits for Tehran would be applied gradually, as it meets its commitments, especially those concerning its nuclear program. Gharibabadi warned that the signing does not mean Iran trusts “the enemy.”

The war, which the United States and Israel began on February 28, has left more than 7,000 dead, according to estimates, and had been unfolding under a fragile truce in force since early April, marked by violations. Israel, which is not a party to the agreement, considers it a “deep disappointment”; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agrees with Trump that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons. If it materializes, the deal would essentially restore the situation that existed before the conflict: an open Strait of Hormuz and Iran's commitment not to develop atomic weapons.