The governments of the U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement in principle to immediately end the war in the Middle East on all fronts, including Lebanon.
This was announced in the early hours of the morning by Pakistan, a country playing a key mediating role, with Washington and Tehran confirming this information immediately afterward.
“The agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” said U.S. President Donald Trump via Truth Social, a few minutes after Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif announced via X that an agreement had been “reached.”
“I approve the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz without transit fees and, at the same time, the immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade. Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”, added the U.S. president, who nevertheless clarified later that the strategically important waterway would reopen “as soon as the agreement is signed,” which is expected to take place on Friday, June 19, in order to allow time “for the removal of (sea) mines” in the area.
The announcement that an agreement had been reached triggered a drop in oil, which had surged after the war broke out in late February and the strait was closed, through which, under normal circumstances, one-fifth of the hydrocarbons consumed globally pass.
What the agreement provides for
The agreement between the two governments provides for “the immediate end of the war and military operations on various fronts, including Lebanon,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Iranian state television.
“Negotiations will begin within 60 days with a view to concluding a final agreement,” Mr. Gharibabadi added, noting that Tehran continues to view the U.S. with “suspicion.” He mentioned four issues that will be on the table: “the lifting of all sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whether unilateral primary or secondary; the nuclear energy program; the “reconstruction” and “economic development” of Iran; and “the creation of a monitoring mechanism” to ensure the implementation of the commitments undertaken.
The Iranian news agency MEHR published a text which it presented as the “memorandum of understanding”, the 14-point agreement protocol reached by the U.S. and Iran: It provides, among other things, for “the release of $24 billion that has been frozen (abroad) during the 60-day negotiation period” that will begin after the signing, “half” of which “will be made available to Iran before the start of negotiations,” according to the text already reported by MEHR on Saturday, however, this has not been officially confirmed.
The signing ceremony for the agreement will take place on Friday, June 19, in Geneva, Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif announced. U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance announced that he intends to attend, adding that U.S. President Trump’s presence is “likely.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the agreement, “a crucial step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” as he emphasized, according to a press release issued by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.
Iran “imposed its divine and iron will on the American and Zionist enemies,” “humiliated” them, and “the enemy had no choice but to accept defeat and surrender,” claimed the Iranian Army General Staff, according to state television.
Shortly before the agreement was announced, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran warned via X that there would be “immediate” retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that killed three people in a southern suburb of Beirut, a stronghold of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is aligned with Tehran.
“Outraged”
U.S. President Trump stated earlier via Truth Social that Israel’s raid “should not have happened, especially on this particular day” —yesterday he celebrated his 80th birthday.
He told the news site Axios he was “outraged,” emphasizing that he had criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the strike: “He has no f… judgment, I told him that.”
Israeli authorities, who are facing with growing anxiety the possibility of a compromise that will not satisfy their demands regarding Iran, the sworn enemy of the Jewish state, claimed they retaliated against a Hezbollah drone attack on Israeli territory.
Under pressure at home to end the highly unpopular war, which is also shaking the global economy, Donald Trump is expected to discuss the matter with the other G7 leaders this week at the summit to be held in Evian, France.
Reactions
“The aim will be to assess the consequences of this agreement, support for Lebanon, the permanent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and obviously the conclusion of an agreement on Iran’s nuclear energy program and its ballistic missile program,” noted French President Emmanuel Macron in a video he posted on Instagram after arriving in the city on the shores of Lake Geneva, shortly after the agreement was announced.
In a joint statement, the governments of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy —a group known as the E4—stated their willingness to proceed with lifting certain “sanctions, in exchange for clear and verifiable measures on the part of Iran regarding its nuclear energy program.”
