Monday, June 15, 2026 - Iran and the United States have agreed to a memorandum of understanding to end more than 100 days of war, with Tehran saying the agreement includes Lebanon, which has been under intense Israeli attacks since March 2.
Mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, the deal will be formally
signed in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday.
US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, which
has been under a de facto Iranian blockade, will open to all shipping on
Friday, while Tehran said the US naval blockade on its ports will be lifted
immediately.
The war, which triggered a global energy crisis, erupted
after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28 amid talks over
Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
said on Monday that the deal with the US includes the immediate suspension of
hostilities on all fronts.
“Based on the agreements reached, the war and military
operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will end immediately and
permanently as of tonight, and in addition, the naval blockade against Iran
will end immediately and completely,” it said in a statement.
“The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding will be
officially held on Friday, June 19,” it added.
“Negotiations for a final agreement will be postponed until
after the other party has fulfilled its obligations under the Memorandum of
Understanding. The Islamic Republic of Iran appreciates the efforts of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Government of Qatar. Peace be upon you,
God’s mercy and blessing.”
Announcing the memorandum of understanding (MOU), US
President Trump said the deal will bring peace and security to the whole
region.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.
Congratulations to all! 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!” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
US Vice President JD Vance said the newly announced
ceasefire could usher in a “new era” for the Middle East. He credited Trump’s
diplomacy with Gulf countries and other regional partners for helping bring
about the deal.
“What the president has done is create the real space to
transform that region,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News. “And now,
hopefully, a new era with the Iranians.”
Vance also reiterated what he described as a central US
objective, saying: “I think we can safely say, with confidence, that Iran will
never have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister
for legal and international affairs, confirmed that an end to military
operations was expected “soon”.
According to remarks carried by Iran’s Tasnim news agency,
Gharibabadi said an “immediate and permanent end to the war and military
operations on various fronts, including Lebanon”, would be announced starting
Monday.
He added that negotiations on a final agreement would take
place during 60 days, contingent on Iran verifying that the US had fulfilled
its commitments. The commitments include ending hostilities, lifting the naval
blockade, and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has
been mediating indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, broke the news on
X on Sunday.
Sharif said a “permanent termination of military operations
on all fronts” had been agreed upon, including in Lebanon.
According to the Iranian news agency Mehr, the draft
agreement contains 14 points.
It includes: A permanent and immediate cessation of
hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon; the complete lifting of the naval
blockade within 30 days; a US commitment to withdraw its forces from around
Iran; and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The draft also mentions the suspension of sanctions on oil
sales, reaching a final agreement on nuclear issues within 60 days of signing
the deal, and the release of $24bn in frozen Iranian assets during the 60-day
negotiation period.
Mehr also reported that final negotiations would not begin
until half of Iran’s frozen assets had been released and restrictions affecting
the Strait of Hormuz had been lifted.
Discussions concerning Iran’s missile programme and its
support for resistance groups have been removed from the negotiating agenda, it
added.
Pakistan, along with Qatar, has been a key mediator in the
ceasefire agreement and was involved in the last-minute talks before the deal
was announced.
Sharif said on Sunday that a US-Iran agreement had been
reached and that mediators would facilitate a series of meetings this
week. He added that both sides had declared the “immediate and permanent
termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
The prime minister thanked the US and Iran for their
commitment, as well as Qatar for its support “in reaching this agreement”.
“I would also especially thank the visionary leadership of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye for their immense
contributions in this regard,” he added.
A series of meetings will follow this week to lay the
foundation for technical talks and the official signing ceremony, he said.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement,
welcoming “the agreement reached on the Memorandum of Understanding” between
the US and Iran on “addressing the outstanding issues between them”.
The ministry added that it viewed the agreement, including
the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as an “important step” towards
consolidating sustainable peace and promoting economic growth, regionally and
internationally.
Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also praised Pakistan and “all
regional and international parties who contributed to creating the conditions
for reaching this understanding”.
The Iranian Embassy in Turkiye posted an image on its
official X account of an Iranian flag planted on a rock motif over the Strait
of Hormuz.
“Welcome to the Middle East of a new era,” the post said.
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