President Trump got his wish as he celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday, announcing that the U.S. and Iran have reached a deal to bring an end to the 108-day-old war.
“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday evening.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran in negotiations, said in a post on the social platform X that an official signing ceremony will take place on Friday in Switzerland.
He said the U.S. and Iran agreed to “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts,” including Lebanon, also thanking Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their support in negotiations.
He said mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week to lay the foundation for technical talks and the signing ceremony.
Iran has yet to weigh in publicly on the apparent deal. The White House hasn’t yet provided details of what is included in the agreement.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that a final draft of the memorandum of understanding includes Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz immediately to all commercial vessels, while the U.S. starts lifting its naval blockade, to be completed within 30 days.
Tehran would agree to not produce or acquire nuclear weapons and refrain from further enrichment of uranium or expansion of nuclear facilities. The U.S. would also agree to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the outlet reported.
It’s unclear how much of that money will be made available up front, or whether Iran will need to take specific action steps to unlock the funds. The Trump administration has called it a “performance-based” deal.
Trump spent much of the earlier hours of Sunday trying to keep the tentative deal on track, as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened to derail it.
The militant group fired three projectiles into northern Israel earlier Sunday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Beirut in response. Trump warned both sides to “not blow” the finalization of a peace deal in a social media post.
“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” he said.
A source told NewsNation that Israel’s strikes on Lebanon were “creating issues” with finalizing the deal.
That’s a dynamic that has repeatedly recurred, as Iran has insisted that the ceasefire that’s been in place for the past two months includes Lebanon, while Israel has chafed at what it sees as efforts to tie its hands in the fight against Hezbollah.
Israel’s defense minister said its military will remain in “security zones” inside Lebanon to destroy “all terrorist infrastructure, above and below ground.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a key ally of Trump and hawkish member of Congress, said in a post on X that any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and approval.
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham said. “I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress."
At least one Democrat, Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.), said he welcomes the news.
“The war was a costly lesson for the US. As expected, Trump failed to bring about regime change. The terms seem no better than what Obama secured under the JCPOA nearly a decade ago,” he said in a post on X.
“But today, we can be relieved that gas and food costs will start coming down for Americans. And that no more American or civilian lives will be lost.”
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