Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif says Iran and the US will sign a peace deal in Switzerland on 19 June, following a series of mediator-led meetings this week. [Getty]
The United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war and will hold an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media early on Monday.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after Sharif made his announcement.
The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and US President Donald Trump.
The precise terms of the deal were not immediately known. Sharif said the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
News agency Reuters previously reported, citing multiple sources, that the draft deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US blockade of Iranian ports and extend a ceasefire, while leaving Iran’s nuclear program to be addressed during a 60-day period of additional talks.
In his social media post, Trump said the strait would be open “toll free” and that the US naval blockade would also end.
“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote.
Later, Trump told the New York Times on Sunday if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the United States “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
Trump told the Times in an interview the agreement he reached with Iran would ultimately assure that the Strait of Hormuz is “permanently toll free” and argued that, despite the objections of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, he had saved Israel from nuclear obliteration.
Meanwhile, Iran said that the newly announced agreement with the United States put an “immediate end” to the countries’ war.
“A permanent and immediate end to the war has been declared on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in televised comments in the early hours of Monday.
Gharibabadi also confirmed that he US naval blockade on Iran will end immediately, as part of the agreement.
He said negotiations will continue for 60 days to address sanctions relief, nuclear issues, reconstruction, and a monitoring mechanism for both sides’ commitments.
The deputy foreign minister stressed that Iran’s obligations are conditional on reciprocal US implementation, with enforcement measures if either side breaches the deal.
An official signing is planned for Friday, followed by further talks on implementation and verification.
Gharibabadi said Iran only agreed after its demands were included, describing the process as taking place amid “complete lack of trust” in the US. He also claimed Iran secured “brilliant victories” and that its opponents suffered “heavy defeats”.
Following Gharibabadi’s comments, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretariat confirmed the agreement in a statement, stating that “war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will end immediately and permanently as of tonight,” with the blockade also to be lifted “immediately and completely”.
It also confirmed that the memorandum of understanding will be formally signed on Friday, 19 June.
The council said further negotiations on a final agreement would be delayed until the US fulfils its commitments under the deal. It also expressed appreciation for the mediation efforts of Pakistan and Qatar.
The draft agreement is expected to be published after signing, with developments in Lebanon and military pressure said to have influenced final adjustments.
International reaction to the attacks have included a joint statement from E4 leaders Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to this end.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government “are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz … Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said Israel’s latest attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut, which Israel said targeted Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters, showed the United States lacks “the will and ability to fulfill your commitments” in a post on X.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it held the United States responsible for the attack. Iran warned of a “strong response”, and its top joint military command said the “finger (is) on the trigger” ready to fire at the “enemy’s heart”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said: “This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
Israel has said it was not party to the planned US-Iran deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differed with Trump over American demands that Israel curb its military action in Lebanon to allow the United States to reach a deal with Iran.
The conflict between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah in Lebanon was reignited by the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in February.
A senior Iranian official earlier told Reuters that, under the terms of the draft deal, the United States would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets, while Iran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons.
The official said Iran agreed to maintain the nuclear status quo, including no uranium enrichment or expanding nuclear facilities, until a final deal is reached.
