The United States and Iran have reached a preliminary framework agreement aimed at ending months of conflict, lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough while leaving the future of Iran’s nuclear program to subsequent negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement Sunday in a post on Truth Social, declaring that “the Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete.” His announcement came shortly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government helped mediate the talks, confirmed that negotiators had reached a breakthrough early Monday local time.
According to both governments, the memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.
While the complete terms have not yet been released, Sharif said the agreement calls for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” where hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have complicated broader regional peace efforts.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council later confirmed that military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon, would permanently cease beginning Monday night.
Israel did not immediately respond to the announcement. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that Israel was not directly involved in the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Trump also announced that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy shipping lanes, would reopen on Friday after months of disruption. He added that he had ordered an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote.
Financial markets reacted immediately to the announcement. Brent crude futures fell about 4% in early Monday trading, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declined more than 4.6% as traders anticipated improved global oil supplies. Asian stock markets also advanced on expectations of easing geopolitical tensions.
Despite the breakthrough, major questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said negotiators would use a proposed 60-day ceasefire period to pursue a broader agreement that would address sanctions relief and nuclear issues.
Officials familiar with the negotiations previously said the future of Iran’s uranium enrichment program would be one of the central topics during those follow-up talks.
The conflict began after U.S. and Israeli forces launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. Since then, thousands of people—primarily in Iran and Lebanon—have been killed. Iran retaliated by attacking Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases while effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy markets. The United States responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The prolonged conflict has become an increasingly difficult political issue for Trump ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, with rising gasoline prices fueling public dissatisfaction. At the same time, some Republican lawmakers have insisted that any lasting agreement must permanently eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham welcomed the framework while stressing that Congress would closely examine any eventual nuclear agreement.
“Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote,” Graham said. “Congratulations to all in getting us to this point.”
The negotiations also revive one of the defining issues of Trump’s first presidency. In 2018, he withdrew the United States from the 2015 international nuclear agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama, arguing that it failed to adequately restrict Tehran’s ambitions.
Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iran significantly expanded its uranium enrichment activities, producing more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. The disposition of that stockpile is expected to become one of the most contentious issues during the upcoming negotiations.
The agreement was finalized despite renewed Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Sunday, attacks that drew criticism from both Tehran and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly disagreed with Trump’s efforts to restrain Israeli military operations in Lebanon while diplomatic talks with Iran continue.
According to Israeli media outlet N12, Trump briefed Netanyahu by telephone on the progress of the negotiations before the announcement.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump described Netanyahu as “a very difficult guy” and argued that the Israeli leader should appreciate U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Before the framework agreement was officially announced, officials familiar with the draft said Washington had agreed in principle to release approximately $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets. U.S. officials also maintained that the final agreement would ultimately require the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iran, however, has maintained that it does not seek nuclear weapons. A senior Iranian official said the draft framework would instead allow Tehran to dilute its enriched uranium domestically while broader negotiations continue over a permanent settlement.
