Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Sunday that the United States and Iran have agreed to end hostilities, with a formal signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Switzerland. The agreement marks a significant diplomatic breakthrough after more than three months of conflict.
Trump confirmed the development on Truth Social, announcing he was lifting the U.S. naval blockade and authorizing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The declaration came minutes after Sharif posted that both sides had declared an "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
The deal extends a 60-day ceasefire and sets the stage for detailed nuclear negotiations. During this window, the U.S. and Iran are expected to negotiate terms around Iran's nuclear enrichment and the handling of its highly enriched uranium. The U.S. has committed to discussing sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets, contingent on Iranian compliance.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz could ease the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict. Before the war, the waterway handled roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. However, practical obstacles may delay a full return to pre-war shipping volumes. Mine-clearing operations, infrastructure repairs, and security guarantees could extend the timeline.
The agreement arrived after a tense final stretch. Israel struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut hours before the expected signing, prompting Iran to threaten withdrawal from the deal. The ceasefire technically includes the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which had reignited Sunday.
Iran has not yet formally confirmed that it considers the deal to be in effect, leaving some uncertainty about the arrangement's standing. Pakistan and Qatar, who mediated the negotiations, are expected to facilitate additional meetings this week and oversee the technical talks ahead.
The memorandum of understanding is far less detailed than a final nuclear agreement will need to be. Negotiators face significant hurdles in the coming 60 days, including how to downblend Iran's enriched uranium and establish monitoring mechanisms for Iran's nuclear program going forward. Some U.S. and Israeli officials worry that a full agreement may never materialize and the war could end with nuclear questions left unresolved.
Author James Rodriguez: "This deal buys time on the most explosive issues, but two months to solve what decades of diplomacy couldn't touch is a thin margin for error."
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