A framework peace deal between the United States and Iran has been reached, according to Donald Trump and senior Iranian officials, bringing a tentative end to the 15-week conflict and raising hopes of relief for the Middle East and the global economy. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretariat said that war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would cease permanently from Monday night.
The precise terms remain unclear, but in a statement on Truth Social, the US president announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of the US naval blockade. He later clarified that reopening the strait would depend on the signing of an initial memorandum of understanding on Friday in Geneva, with Pakistan acting as mediator.
Leaked drafts suggest the memorandum will trigger an immediate 60-day period of intensive technical talks, during which contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear programme, will be discussed. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that negotiators would seek a broader agreement including sanctions relief for Iran.
News of the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquid gas pass, lifted stock markets and pushed oil prices lower on Monday morning. Trump will travel to the French Alps for a G7 summit where he and other senior officials have accused European allies of inadequate support during the war, while several European leaders have sharply criticised his decision-making.
US Vice-President JD Vance is expected to attend the signing ceremony, and the Iranian delegation is likely to include parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the agreement on Sunday, saying both sides had declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Israel has fiercely resisted Lebanon's inclusion in the deal, and its fresh airstrikes on Beirut prompted a call for restraint from Trump. Israeli officials said the strike targeted senior Hezbollah commanders, while Israel braced for retaliatory Iranian missile strikes. There has been no official response from Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a tough re-election battle and must explain why so few of the objectives outlined at the start of the conflict have been achieved.
