Washington (Somalia Today) — The United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Sunday.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform at about 5:30 pm in Washington.
“Congratulations to all!” he added. “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.”
Trump ended the post with a direct message to global shipping operators: “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government helped mediate between Washington and Tehran, announced the agreement shortly before Trump’s post.
“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been reached,” Sharif wrote on X.
He said both sides had agreed to “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
Sharif said the two sides would formally sign the deal on Friday in Switzerland.
Iran later confirmed the agreement, with President Masoud Pezeshkian writing on X: “Agreement reached.” He posted the message under a picture of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whom he described as “Diplomacy General.”
The precise terms of the agreement were not immediately clear. Some officials have described it as a memorandum of understanding that would stop the fighting, reopen the Gulf’s main shipping route and launch a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Hormuz to reopen
The Strait of Hormuz has stood at the centre of the crisis.
Iran effectively shut down the strategic waterway for months, restricting one of the world’s most important oil and gas export routes. The move pushed up global energy prices and hit economies already facing rising fuel costs.
The United States responded by blocking Iranian ports, deepening the confrontation and raising fears of a wider regional war.
Under draft terms reported before the announcement, Iran would reopen the strait to commercial shipping while the United States would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The strait links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It carries a major share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows, making its reopening one of the most important parts of the deal.
Trump’s post suggested Washington would move quickly to restore shipping.
But maritime and security officials are expected to closely monitor signs that vessels can safely navigate the waterway after months of disruption.
Nuclear left for talks
The deal also sets up a 60-day period of further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to draft terms described before the announcement.
Under those terms, Iran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons and would maintain the current status of its nuclear programme while talks continue.
Iran would not expand its nuclear facilities or increase uranium enrichment during that period, while negotiators would address the future of its enriched uranium stockpile in the next phase.
A US official said before the announcement that Washington expected the process to lead eventually to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme and the removal or destruction of highly enriched uranium.
Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, has insisted that any agreement must respect its sovereignty and allow it to keep control over its nuclear activities.
A senior Iranian official said the draft deal would allow Tehran to dilute enriched uranium inside the country rather than ship it abroad.
The framework also includes economic incentives for Iran, including oil-sanctions waivers, a pause on new sanctions during negotiations and the release of $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
Those measures could offer major relief to Iran’s economy, which has suffered under years of US sanctions and months of war.
Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that Iran would not receive cash directly under the deal, but that sanctions could be lifted depending on Tehran’s behaviour.
“We’ll see how they behave,” he said.
Trump also said he felt no urgency to remove nuclear material from Iran immediately.
“We’ll get the nuclear dust later on when we’re ready to go in and do it. I’d say over the next month or two, there’s no rush,” he said, calling it “harmless.”
Israel strike strains
The agreement came despite an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier Sunday that threatened to derail the final hours of diplomacy.
Israel said it had targeted a Hezbollah command centre after the Iran-backed group fired drones at Israeli territory. Lebanese state media said three people were killed and 15 wounded in the strike.
Trump criticised the Israeli attack, saying it should not have happened while Washington was close to a peace deal with Tehran.
“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.
He said Israel had the right to defend itself, but described the attack it was responding to as “very small and meaningless” and said nobody had been hurt.
“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” he added.
Iran reacted angrily. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and a senior figure in the negotiations, said the strike showed that Washington either lacked the will or the ability to fulfil its commitments.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it held the United States responsible for the attack, while senior military officials warned of a possible response.
“The response of the warriors of Islam is forthcoming,” said Mohammad Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
“Lebanon is our lifeblood, and any violation of the red lines of the Islamic Republic will not be tolerated,” he added.
Netanyahu under pressure
Israel has said it is not a party to the US-Iran deal and will retain freedom of action in Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly clashed with Trump over Washington’s push to limit Israeli operations while it tries to close a deal with Tehran.
Trump said he had spoken to Netanyahu and claimed the Israeli leader was comfortable with the agreement.
“Bibi is OK with it,” Trump said. “Why is it good for Bibi? Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon under any circumstance.”
But Netanyahu has expressed concerns about the terms of a potential deal, and several of his allies have urged him to keep striking Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets.
Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would not tolerate attacks on its territory.
“Israel won’t tolerate attacks on its territory,” he said.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which Iran backs, has become one of the biggest obstacles to ending the wider war.
Iran has made a full ceasefire in Lebanon an important part of its demands, while Israel has insisted on the right to respond to any Hezbollah attack.
Political gamble for Trump
The war has become a growing political problem for Trump and Republicans in Congress, with rising petrol prices angering voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants a deal that reopens Hormuz, prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ends the fighting without forcing regime change in Tehran.
“As far as regime change, I never cared about regime change,” Trump told the Journal. “This is the third group we’ve dealt with, and this is the most rational group yet.”
He said the US naval blockade had worked and described it as “more powerful than the hits.”
The announcement also came on Trump’s 80th birthday, hours before a high-profile UFC event on the White House lawn.
The timing gave Trump a dramatic foreign policy moment on a day already set as a political spectacle.
But the agreement still faces major tests.
Iranian hardliners have criticised the framework, with protesters at pro-government rallies accusing Araghchi of making too many concessions to Washington.
In Mashhad, some demonstrators chanted “Death to the compromiser,” in an apparent reference to the foreign minister.
In Israel and Washington, hawks are going to question whether the agreement gives Iran too much relief before resolving the nuclear issue.
For now, Trump and Sharif are presenting the deal as a turning point after months of war.
If the ceasefire holds, Hormuz reopens, and the nuclear talks move forward, the agreement could ease global energy pressure and begin a wider regional de-escalation.
If the deal falters, the same disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s military operations and Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon could quickly pull the region back towards war.
