US, Iran Reach Deal To End War, Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
This US Navy handout photo released on May 8, 2026 by US Central Command Public Affairs, shows the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) implementing a maritime blockade against the Iran-flagged crude oil tanker vessel Herby while the latter was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, on April 24, 2026. The war launched by the US and Israel in late February saw Iran respond with attacks across the Middle East and maintain a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, choking off major flows of oil, gas, and fertilizer to the world economy, while the US has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports. (Photo by US NAVY / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / NAVCENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
The United States and Iran announced a deal to end the Middle East war on all fronts and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, sparking relief Monday after months of deadly violence and global economic chaos.
Few details were made public, but US President Donald Trump said Hormuz, a key conduit for global oil supplies that Iran has blockaded since the start of the war, would reopen.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” US President Donald Trump said on Sunday.
Soon afterwards, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in televised comments that the deal put an “immediate end” to the war and that they would hold talks within two months to seek a “final agreement.”
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, however, said Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely, despite the announcement that the deal would apply across all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official source told AFP that Lebanese authorities had not been informed of details of the agreement.
Terms Unclear
The deal follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats of fresh hostilities, but its details remain unclear.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the US would release $12 billion in frozen assets to Iran before the start of negotiations.
It quoted a 14-point “memorandum of understanding” between the two nations, which it said stipulated “the release of 24 billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets during the 60‑day negotiation period” that begins after the MoU is signed.
The Trump administration didn’t immediately comment on the details, which may prove contentious as the US presses its effort to end Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and deal with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — said to have been buried by US strikes last year.
In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, Trump said the US was still negotiating whether Iran would suspend its enrichment for 20 years.
He hinted that he might settle for a 15-year suspension, but said he did not want to negotiate via the press.
A diplomat told AFP on Monday that the US and Iran are to hold indirect meetings in Doha ahead of the formal signing of the agreement.
‘Seize The Moment’
The announcement of the deal sparked relief in the region and beyond, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling it a “critical step” toward resolving the war.
“Once the war is over and the sanctions we had are lifted, I think it will be very good and I will be happy,” Nastaran, a 29-year-old software engineer in Tehran told AFP.
Saudi Arabia, which Iran repeatedly targeted during the war, welcomed the deal, adding that a lasting agreement would be one that “takes into consideration the security interests of regional states”.
Egypt said the deal could be a “turning point” while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it a “historic step towards peace”.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions imposed on Iran and will work “with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.”
“What we’re going to be able to do is drive down the cost of energy, not just now but for the long term, and create a real engine of prosperity in the Middle East,” US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News.
He said that he planned to attend the signing of the deal, which was expected to take place in Geneva, and that it was possible Trump himself could also go.
AFP
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