The United States and Iran have reached an agreement intended to pave the way for an end to their war after weeks of negotiations, according to mediator Pakistan, US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media platform X that both sides had committed to an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The official signing ceremony is to take place in Switzerland on Friday, according to Sharif.
Shortly afterwards, Trump also confirmed the conclusion of an agreement, writing on his Truth Social platform: "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."
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also said the text of the framework deal had been finalized, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Strait of Hormuz to reopen after signing on Friday
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes for oil and gas, is to be opened only after the formal signing of the agreement on Friday, Trump said in a separate Truth Social platform post.
Iranian news agency Tasnim also reported, citing unnamed sources, that the strait would be reopened following the signing of the agreement on Friday.
No further details on the content of the agreement were initially announced.
Oil prices fell sharply shortly after news of the agreement emerged. Brent crude, the global benchmark, for delivery in August fell about 4% to around $84 a barrel, while US crude futures (WTI) for July delivery dropped by a similar margin to about $81 a barrel.
After the start of the Iran war in late February, Tehran had largely brought shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to a standstill through threats and attacks, pushing up energy prices worldwide.
The framework agreement marks only an interim step, though an important one, with further key issues in the conflict between the two countries, including the nuclear dispute, to be negotiated in detail during further talks.
European leaders ready for mission in Strait of Hormuz
Following the announcement, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy said they are committed to supporting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The urgent reopening of the strait with "unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a joint statement.
"We are committed to playing our part to achieve this – in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements – including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations."
The leaders reaffirmed that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, saying: "It is now vital that the detailed negotiations are concluded and this agreement is implemented rapidly and comprehensively. We are ready to support that effort."
UN Secretary General António Guterres also welcomed the agreement as a "critical step" towards a lasting peaceful resolution of the conflict. He thanked all those involved in reaching the accord and said he hoped the parties would seize the opportunity to intensify efforts towards a final settlement.
The United Nations stood ready to provide support at any time, he added.
Israel and Hezbollah attacks put deal at risk
In the hours before the announcement, the deal had appeared to be hanging by a thread after new exchanges of fire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. A Hezbollah attack on northern Israel was followed by an Israeli counter-attack on suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday.
Trump then warned Israel and called on all sides to show restraint. The strike near Beirut should not have taken place, "particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran," Trump wrote.
The US and Israel are usually close allies and had jointly launched the war against Iran on February 28. A ceasefire has formally been in place since April, though there have been repeated attacks by both sides.
Following the Israeli strikes near Beirut, Iran had called into question a possible agreement on a framework deal with the United States. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened Israel with counter-attacks.
The Israeli military said in the late afternoon that it was preparing for the possible bombardment of Israeli territory in the coming hours.
A key condition for Iran in any agreement with the US was an end to military operations on all fronts. Tehran had repeatedly stressed that it would not be willing to continue the diplomatic process unless that demand was met.
Framework agreement to pave way for deeper talks
The framework agreement is intended to serve as a starting point for deeper talks between Washington and Tehran.
According to reports, in addition to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the agreement would extend the fragile and repeatedly broken ceasefire by 60 days and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it had finalized the agreement under the leadership of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to a statement published by Iranian news agency Tasnim. The negotiations concluded on Sunday evening, the council said.
The US and Israel had repeatedly justified their war against Iran by saying that the arch-enemy of the Jewish state must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
It remains unclear whether the planned follow-up talks after the framework agreement will lead to an agreement on Iran's disputed nuclear programme.
