The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to end the war, during which thousands of people were killed, including 13 American service members, and open the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. and Iranian officials announced on Sunday.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” President Donald Trump said in a post on 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. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump. Details of the peace deal were not immediately released. Earlier, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that the agreement would be signed electronically by him or Vice President JD Vance. The official signing ceremony will be on June 19 in Switzerland, according to Sharif.
“Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Sharif said in a statement on X.
The U.S.-Iran pact would end the four-month war that’s shaken the Middle East and global oil markets, causing gas prices to soar amid economic uncertainty and sinking approval ratings for the president. Blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have limited the global oil supply and driven the cost of regular gasoline up nearly 40% since the conflict began Feb. 28. Iran has prevented the passage of ships in the waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass.
After Iran and the United States failed to reach a peace deal in April, America also initiated a blockade outside the Strait to prevent the passage of Iranian commercial ships.
Contributing: Rachel Barber, Francesca Chambers, and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Reuters
Thao Nguyen
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and a close ally of President Donald Trump, welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran but also raised concerns about the differences between how U.S. officials and Iran are describing the deal.
“I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters,” Graham wrote in a post on X. “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming.”
He noted that Congress must review and vote over any nuclear deal with Iran. “Congratulations to all in getting us to this point. Time will tell,” Graham said.
Thao Nguyen
In an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, President Donald Trump said if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the U.S. “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
Trump also told the Times that the agreement with Iran would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains “permanently toll-free.” But the full text of the agreement has not been released, and Trump appeared to describe to the newspaper concessions Iran has not finalized, or that may have been deferred to future negotiations.
A memorandum of understanding tied to the deal outlines a suspension of any tolls in the strait for 60 days, followed by plans for regional talks about the future, according to the newspaper. Iran had not charged tolls on the Strait of Hormuz before the war, meaning the deal largely restores conditions that existed before it.
Thao Nguyen
In a joint statement, leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom said the countries were prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to steps on its nuclear program after the United States and Iran reached a deal to end their war.
“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to this end,” the leaders of the countries said in the joint statement.
The leaders also called for the “urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.”
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran. He called the deal a “hugely important step forward in ending the war, ensuring regional stability and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”
“We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,” Starmer said in a statement, adding that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”
Contributing: Reuters
Thao Nguyen
In a televised phone interview with Fox News on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance called the agreement with Iran “a big moment for the United States of America,” but noted that more work needs to be done.
The agreement would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the naval blockade, restoring a key global shipping route, according to Vance. He said the deal also bars Iran from developing, acquiring or purchasing a nuclear weapon.
“This only happens, to be clear, if Iran delivers on their promise,” Vance told Fox News. “So there’s an approach here where we verify and where there are real benefits, so long as Iran meets their end of the obligation.”
Vance acknowledged the recent Israeli strikes in Beirut, saying U.S. officials were worried Iran might retaliate but were assured the country would not. He later added that he plans to attend the signing ceremony, which is expected to be held in Switzerland on June 19.
“I’m not going to say that everybody’s going to sing Kumbaya tomorrow,” Vance told the network. “It’s going to take a little bit of time to learn the ways of peace, but I do think we took a major, major step tonight.”
Thao Nguyen
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran.
“We look forward to all parties engaging in the forthcoming negotiations in a positive and constructive spirit that will help consolidate this progress and build upon it,” he wrote on X. “We reaffirm that the State of Qatar will remain a steadfast supporter of these efforts and of all endeavors aimed at strengthening security and stability at the regional and international levels through dialogue and peaceful means.”
Qatar, along with Pakistan, have served as key mediators in negotiations between the United States and Iran. Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had thanked Qatar for its help in the “mediation effort.”
Florence Tan
Oil prices slipped after Trump and Iran’s deputy foreign minister said they have reached a deal to halt the war and to resume traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, fell $3.51, or 4.02%, to $83.82 by around 5 p.m. ET and U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $80.95 a barrel, down $3.93, or 4.63%.
Thao Nguyen
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed to Iranian state television that a deal to end the war has been reached. Gharibabadi said Iran and the United States intend to formally sign the agreement on June 19 in Geneva, confirming the timeline previously announced by Pakistan.
The “immediate and permanent end of the war and all military operations on various fronts,” including Lebanon, will take place starting Monday, according to Gharibabadi. He added that the U.S. naval blockade against Iran will also be lifted.
Gharibabadi said negotiations for a final deal will be held during a 60-day period, adding that Tehran would take its own measures in case of “breaches from the other side.” He noted that Iran’s commitments to the agreement would start on June 19.
Contributing: Reuters
Thao Nguyen
A peace deal has been reached between the United States and Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday. The official signing ceremony will be held on June 19 in Switzerland, according to Sharif.
“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED,” Sharif said in a statement on X. “Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
The Pakistani prime minister thanked the United States and Iran for “their commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” and acknowledged the support from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey provided in mediation efforts.
Sharif noted that with the agreement in place, mediators will be facilitating a series of meetings this week, which will “lay the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony.”
Zac Anderson
President Donald Trump told Axios in an interview that he is “pissed off” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to strike Beirut, but the attacks won’t prevent a peace deal with Iran from being signed today.
“It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now,” Trump said.
The Israeli military struck targets in Beirut’s suburbs on Sunday after the militant group Hezbollah launched projectiles toward Israel, Reuters reported. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Israel’s attack has “once again shown that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so.”
Trump warned Israel and Tehran in a Sunday social media post not to “blow it” as he pushes to get a deal signed.
“I was so pissed off. I let him know,” Trump told Axios of Netanyahu, adding that he has no “judgment.”
Marina Pitofsky
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was pressed during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” about how the United States will address Iran’s highly enriched uranium as America and the Middle Eastern country come closer to a deal.
Hegesth said Iran will be subject to “inspections” and “oversight,” though that could be from American or international bodies. The Pentagon chief said the United States would “work with [Iran] to remove that material, or you’ll downblend that material, but you’re not going to have any of that material, and anything you do get will be based on oversight and performance.”
When CBS host Margaret Brennan asked Hegseth whether American military forces would “go in and clean up the nuclear dust,” Hegseth responded that he wasn’t “going to say on a Sunday morning television program what we will or will not do in any context.”
“Ultimately, Iran will need to destroy it and remove it, downblend it, and we will be involved, whether physically or otherwise, to ensure that that happens, could be the U.S. military, could be another option,” he added.
Jay Stahl
President Donald Trump in a social media post denounced Israel’s recent strikes on Beirut, targeting the American ally with rare public criticism.
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
Trump encouraged peace on “all sides” of the matter. “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” Trump said.
“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,” the president continued. “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”
Jay Stahl
President Donald Trump’s hopes for a deal to end the Iran war come as he turns 80 on Sunday.
He anticipated a deal on Truth Social ahead of a UFC fight slated to take place on the White House’s South Lawn. The evening faceoff − titled UFC Freedom 250 − has been much anticipated by conservatives and panned by Democratic critics.
Trump’s birthday is also marked by new NBC News polling showing sinking approval for the president as Democrats gain ground ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The polling, released on Sunday, shows that the president’s approval rating among all U.S. adults currently sits at 39%, five months out from the pivotal midterms. The survey results mark Trump’s lowest approval rating in an NBC News poll since his first term.
Reuters
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Sunday that Israel’s attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs showed the United States either lacked the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so.
In a post on X, he said continuing on the current path would be impossible if commitments could not be fulfilled. His comments follow the strikes on Beirut’s suburbs that Israeli officials said targeted Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said earlier that Hezbollah had launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel, calling it a blatant ceasefire violation.
Reuters
U.S. and Pakistani leaders forecast a Sunday signing of a long-elusive framework agreement to end months of fighting between the United States and Iran, but Tehran cast doubt over the timing and hardline protesters in Iran voiced opposition.
President Donald Trump posted that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday, his 80th birthday. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing, to be followed by technical-level talks in the coming week.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking before Trump’s post, was quoted by state media as saying on Saturday it would “not be tomorrow” but could happen “in the coming days.”
At pro-government rallies held across Iran on Saturday night, residents and news agencies reported that hardliners opposed to the framework agreement loudly voiced their dissatisfaction. A resident in the northeastern city of Mashhad told Reuters that some protesters chanted “Death to the compromiser,” in an apparent reference to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.