The United States and Iran have agreed a peace deal and an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, according to Pakistan, which acted as mediator. The announcement is the strongest sign yet that more than three months of war in the Middle East is drawing to a close.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, posted on X that a peace deal “has been REACHED” and that an official signing ceremony will be held on 19 June in Switzerland.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump quickly confirmed in his own statement on Sunday, as he marked his 80th birthday.
“I hereby fully authorise the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the immediate removal of the United States naval blockade. Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
There was no immediate confirmation from Iran, which only hours earlier had vowed to retaliate against an Israeli strike on Iranian ally Hezbollah in the suburbs of Beirut – a strike that threatened to push back an agreement. Earlier on Sunday, Iran had declined to offer a clear timeline for reaching a peace deal.
But later in the day, Pakistan’s Sharif announced that a deal had been struck, thanking the US and Iran “for finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict”.
“Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Sharif wrote, adding thanks to the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their support in the mediation effort.
It was a rollercoaster Sunday, with Trump angrily blaming Israel in the morning for delaying the signing by carrying out the airstrike on Beirut, which he said had set the agreement back.
The last time Israel hit the Beirut suburbs, it caused one of the strongest jolts yet to a ceasefire that has largely held since April, with Iran firing off a retaliatory missile barrage and Israel responding with strikes.
Tehran has long demanded that any agreement to halt the war must include the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been pursuing a campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The war began in late February, with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and US allies in the region, and by virtually blocking ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for global oil and natural gas supplies. The US responded by blockading ship traffic to Iranian ports.